TACTICAL 


Mill 


TACTICAL  WALKS 


BY 


Lt.  Col.  William  H.  Waldron 

U.  S.  Infantry 

Distinguished  Graduate  Infantry  and 
Cavalry  School  1905 

Graduate  Staff  College,   1906 
Graduate  Army  War  College,   1911 

Assistant  Director,  Army  War  College, 
Course  1911-12 

Author  of 

"Scouting  and  Patrolling" 
"Elements  of  Trench  Warfare" 

"Company  Administration" 
"Infantry  Soldiers'  Hand  Book" 


PRICE  rfL  50 


PUBLISHED  BY  GEORGE  U.   HARVEY  PUBLISHING  CO.,  Inc. 
109  Lafayette  St.,  New  York  City 


} 


COPYRIGHT  1918  BY 
GEORGE  U.  HARVEY  PUBLISHING  Co.,  Inc. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 


INSTRUCTIONS 


TACTICAL  WALK  No.  1.     ADVANCE  GUARD  .......................  ...        9 

The  operations  of  an  advance  party.  The  operations  of  a  point. 
Contact.  Patrolling.  Action  of  advance  guard  when  column 
halts. 

TACTICAL  WALK  No.  2.    A  FLANK  GUARD  ..........................      28 

Formation.  Patrolling.  Covering  approaches.  Ambuscade.  Ac- 
tion when  main  body  halts. 

TACTICAL  WALK  No.  3.    AN  OUTPOST  ..............................       43 

Covering  the  posting  of  the  outguards.  Posting  of  an  outguard. 
Posting  sentinels.  Orders  and  instructions.  Receptions  of  a  flag 
of  truce  at  the  outposts. 

TACTICAL  WALK  No.  4.    A  RECONNOITERING  PATROL  ................       58 

Inspection  of  patrol.  Orders  and  instructions  to  patrol.  Pass- 
ing line  of  outguards.  Formation  of  the  patrol.  Contact  with 
the  enemy.  Observation  of  enemy.  Message  writing.  Message 
carrying.  Capture  of  enemy  scouts. 

TACTICAL  WALK  No.  5.    A  VISITING  PATROL  .......................  ".      74 

Preparation.  Orders.  Visiting  points  on  line  of  observation. 
Capture  of  hostile  scouts.  Inspection  in  front  of  the  line  of 
observation.  Disposition  of  prisoners. 

TACTICAL  WALK  No.  6.     A  DETACHED  POST  .......................      89 

Orders  and  instructions.  Marching.  Establishment  of  detached 
post.  Preparation  of  position  for  defense.  Conduct  of  duty. 
Day  and  night  dispositions. 

TACTICAL  WALK  No.   7.     A  DEFENSIVE  POSITION  .........  .........     105 

Estimate  of  the  situation.  Organization  of  a  defensive  position. 
Location  of  defensive  works.  Location  and  construction  of  ob- 
stacles. Clearing  the  foreground. 


369969 


TO  THE  READER 

"READ  THE  INSTRUCTIONS' 


Many  students  ignore  the  INSTRUCTIONS  to  a  book.  It 
is  most  important  that  you  read  the  INSTRUCTIONS  to  this 
volume  before  going  into  the  text.  This,  in  order  that  you 
may  familiarize  yourself  with  the  system  laid  down  herein. 

THE  AUTHOR 


INSTRUCTIONS. 

The  Tactical  Walk  is  the  best  method  that  has  been  devised  for  instruc- 
ting officers  and  noncommissioned  officers  in  the  subject  of  Minor  Tactics. 
Tactical  situations  are  presented  to  them  for  practical  solution  on  the 
ground  itself,  and  the  lessons  are  firmly  impressed  on  their  minds. 

Fortunate  is  the  company  commander  detailed  to  command  the  support 
of  an  outpost  who  can  march  his  organization  to  the  position  designated, 
group  his  noncommissioned  officers  about  him,  state  the  military  situation 
to  them  in  a  few  words,  and  give  his  orders  for  posting  the  outpost,  feel- 
ing assured  that  each  man  will  go  about  his  task  in  an  intelligent  manner 
and  carry  out  his  part  of  the  operation  efficiently. 

To  be  more  specific,  can  you  take  any  one  of  your  noncommissioned  offi- 
cers at  random  and  after  informing  him  of  the  contents  of  the  first  two 
paragraphs  of  the  outpost  order  say:  "Sergeant  Williams,  with  the  first 
platoon  move  out  at  once  and  cover  the  posting  of  the  outguards,"  and  know 
that  this  task  is  going  to  be  efficiently  carried  out? 

Can  you  say  to  another:  "Corporal  White,  with  your  squad  form  out- 
guard  No.  2,  which  will  be  posted  at  the  road  fork ,  and  cover  the 

approaches  from  the  east,"  and  feel  reasonably  assured  that  Corporal 
White  will  select  the  proper  location  for  his  outguard;  that  he  will  post 
one  double-sentinel  post  in  the  best  location  for  observation  and  conceal- 
ment; that  he  will  instruct  his  sentinels  and  give  them  their  proper 
orders;  that  he  will  establish  communication  with  the  adjoining  outguards 
and  sentinels,  and  that  he  will  prepare  his  position  for  defense? 

Again,  can  you  say  to  another :  "Outguard  No.  2  has  reported  a  flag 
of  truce  about  300  yards  in  front  of  sentinel  No.  1.  Corporal  Jones,  take 
four  men  of  your  squad,  go  out  and  conduct  the  parlementaire  to  me," 
with  the  assurance  that  Corporal  Jones  knows  how  to  carry  out  his  mis- 
sion in  all  its  details? 

Can  you  select  any  one  of  your  noncommissioned  officers,  detail  six 
men  and  place  them  under  his  command  as  a  reconnoitering  patrol  for 
work  in  front  of  the  outpost  line ;  give  him  the  information  of  the  enemy 
and  your  own  troops ;  assign  him  a  mission  and  tell  him  where  to  send 
his  messages,  and  feel  that  he  will  be  able  to  conduct  the  operations  of 
that  patrol  in  the  manner  that  you  would  wish  it  conducted? 

Can  you  send  any  one  of  your  sergeants  out  in  command  of  the  point 
of  your  advance  guard  and  feel  that  he  knows  what  to  do  and  how  to 
do  it?  He  may  have  a  good  general  idea  of  the  methods  to  be  employed 
while  the  point  is  just  marching  along  the  road.  Let  a  shot  be  fired  from 
the  front.  What  will  he  do?  The  chances  are  that  he  will  halt  and 
"await  instructions."  I  have  seen  this  procedure  time  and  time  again  at 
maneuvers.  I  have  seen  an  advance  guard  consisting  of  a  whole  battalion 
deployed  against  six  infantrymen.  I  have  seen  another  entire  battalion 
deploy  to  drive  twenty  dismounted  cavalrymen  from  a  sunken  road  and 
delay  the  main  body  for  a  considerable  length  of  time  when  every  minute 
was  precious. 


6  Tactical  Walks 

It  is  to  pru\id<t  instruction  ir«  just  this  class  of  problems  that  the  Tacti- 
cal Walk  has  been  devised  and  developed.  If  it  is  efficiently  conducted, 
it  will  certainly  familiarize  noncommissioned  officers  with  this  class  of 
duties. 

We  take  the  noncommissioned  officers  from  the  theory  of  the  class- 
room and  map  maneuvers  right  out  on  tactical  exercises  with  troops 
without  giving  them  any  preliminary  practical  training.  They  are  not 
sure  of  themselves  yet.  The  Tactical  Walk  is  the  intermediate  step  be- 
tween the  classroom  and  theory  and  the  actual  handling  of  troops,  which 
fits  the  man  for  the  duties  of  troop  handling. 

In  the  practical  training  of  troops  the  Tactical  Walk  finds  its  broad 
field  of  application.  You  decide  that  you  want  to  instruct  your  company 
in  outpost  work.  Select  the  terrain  that  you  desire  to  use;  draw  up 
your  problem  and  the  several  situations  connected  therewith  along  the 
lines  indicated  herein.  Take  your  noncommissioned  officers  out  on  a 
Tactical  Walk  and  solve  the  problem.  The  next  day,  while  the  situations 
and  their  solution  are  still  fresh  in  their  minds,  take  the  company  out  for 
a  terrain  exercise  over  this  same  gound  and  solve  the  same  problem.  You 
will  see  that  the  noncommissioned  officers  will  go  about  their  work  in  an 
intelligent  and  straightforward  manner.  There  will  be  no  hesitation  and 
indecision.  This  inspires  the  confidence  of  the  men  in  their  squad  and 
platoon  and  platoon  leaders,  and  your  company  has  learned  something 
really  worth  while. 

This  is  not  to  say  that  one  exercise  of  this  class  will  suffice.  You  may 
have  to  give  your  company  a  dozen  such.  Now  take  the  same  problem 
and  work  it  out  in  the  same  manner  on  a  different  piece  of  ground.  You 
will  see  a  marked  improvement  in  the  noncommissioned  officers  grasping 
the  points  of  the  Tactical  Walk.  You  will  see  them  gaining  confidence  in 
themselves.  You  will  see  that  the  men  have  more  confidence  in  them  and 
respect  for  their  ability. 

After  the  two  phases  of  training  have  been  carried  out  as  outlined 
above,  you  are  ready  to  enter  into  maneuver  with  another  company. 

The  Tactical  Walk  will  be  found  suitable  for  teaching  the  officers  and 
noncommissioned  officers  of  the  cadet  corps  in  military  schools.  The  com- 
mandant may  work  up  his  problems  and  conduct  the  walks  as  indicated 
herein. 

The  members  of  the  Officers'  Reserve  Corps  will  find  herein  a  wealth 
of  material  for  their  study  and  practical  application.  This  is  exactly  the 
class  of  instruction  they  will  receive  at  the  officers'  training  camps  each 
year. 

The  Director 

The  successful  conduct  of  the  Tactical  Walk  depends  to  a  considerable 
degree  upon  the  tactical  knowledge  of  the  Director  and  his  ability  to  im- 
part knowledge  to  others.  Therefore,  before  starting  on  a  Tactical  Walk, 
study  up  on  all  the  points  that  you  desire  to  bring  out.  In  other  words, 
make  a  detailed  solution  of  the  problem  and  the  principles  involved.  You 
must  know  your  subject  thoroughly,  and  to  this  end  must  familiarize  your- 
self with  the  different  phases  of  the  situations  to  such  extent  that  you 


Instructions 

may  be  able  to  make  reasonable  answer  to  any  questions  that  may  be  pro- 
pounded. If  it  is  possible  to  do  so,  go  over  the  ground  in  advance.  Make 
a  study  of  it  and  fit  each  situation  to  the  terrain. 

You  must  receive  all  the  ideas  presented  by  the  members  of  the  class. 
Take  out  the  good  and  tactfully  discard  the  bad  and  indifferent.  You 
should  take  great  care  that  you  do  not  unduly  criticise  the  men  when 
they  make  mistakes  and  faulty  dispositions.  Above  all,  never  hold  up  one 
of  their  solutions  to  ridicule.  Ideas  that  you  are  not  willing  to  accept  at 
first  glance  may  have  something  worth  while  hidden  away  in  them.  Be- 
fore going  out  you  will  do  well  to  prepare  a  key  to  the  points  that  you 
desire  to  bring  out.  Use  this  to  refresh  your  memory.  This  prevents 
important  points  being  overlooked.  Such  a  key  is  inserted  at  the  end  of 
the  solution  of  each  situation  in  this  book. 

The  Problem 

Your  first  essential  is  a  problem,  clearly  and  tersely  stated,  logically 
drawn,  and  easily  understood.  The  several  tactical  situation  should  follow 
one  another  in  their  natural  sequence.  Each  should  bring  out  some  prin- 
ciple of  Minor  Tactics  that  it  is  desired  to  illustrate  and  impress  upon  the 
members  of  the  class.  Avoid  long-winded  situations  that  are  complex 
and  difficult  for  the  average  man  to  grasp.  The  simpler  the  situations  the 
better  they  will  be. 

Discussion 

A  full  and  free  discussion  of  the  points  presented  during  the  conduct 
of  the  walk  should  be  encouraged.  Therein  lies  one  of  the  great  virtues 
of  this  method  of  instruction.  Do  not  permit  these  discussions  to  degen- 
erate into  personal  arguments  among  the  members  of  the  class. 

Every  detail  of  one  situation  must  be  carefully  worked  out  before  pass- 
ing to  another.  Members  of  the  class  should  invariably  be  pinned  down  to 
statements  of  just  exactly  what  they  would  do  under  the  circumstances  if 
they  were  confronted  with  that  particular  situation  in  time  of  war.  Men 
unfamiliar  with  the  subject  are  prone  to  give  evasive  answers.  This 
tendency  should  be  combatted  from  the  very  start.  The  best  method  is 
to  keep  on  asking  questions  until  you  get  the  man  down  to  bed-rock  and 
he  has  to  tell  you  jtost  exactly  what  he  would  do. 

Equipment 

Each  member  of  the  class  will  be  equipped  with  writing  pads  of  uniform 
size  for  facility  in  handling.  Pads  5  by  8  inches  are  the  best.  Each  man 
should  have  several  pencils,  a  compass,  a  watch,  a  book  of  message  blanks, 
and,  if  practicable,  a  map  of  the  country  over  which  the  walk  is  being 
conducted. 

The  problems  and  situations  will  be  typewritten  on  3  by  5  inch  cards, 
one  for  each  man  participating  in  the  exercise.  All  cards  for  a  particular 

situation  should  be  placed  in  an  envelope  and  marked  "Situation  No. ," 

so  that,  on  arriving  at  a  point  where  it  is  intended  to  solve  a  phase  of  the 
problem,  all  the  Director  has  to  do  is  to  withdraw  the  envelope  from 
his  pocket  or  dispatch  case  and  distribute  the  cards.  It  has  been  found  that 
cards  serve  the  purpose  better  than  light  paper. 


8  Tactical  Walks 

Conducting  the  Tactical  Walk 

The  method  to  be  employed  in  the  conduct  of  the  Tactical  Walk  de- 
pends in  a  measure  upon  the  advancement  of  the  members  of  the  class. 
For  beginners  the  Director  will  have  to  do  most  of  the  talking.  He  will 
have  to  explain  all  the  principles  involved  before  questions  are  asked.  As 
the  men  progress,  the  walk  may  be  conducted  principally  by  the  quiz 
method.  It  has  been  the  endeavor  to  illustrate  these  systems  in  the  prob- 
lems that  follow.  In  the  Outpost  and  Reconnoitering  Patrol  Walks  the 
beginner's  method  is  largely  employed.  The  Director  explains  the  elements 
that  enter  into  the  situation,  the  members  of  the  class  entering  into  the 
solution  wherever  practicable,  and  the  Director  finally  presenting  a  solu- 
tion for  discussion.  The  remaining  walks  are  of  the  quiz  type,  wherein 
the  elements  are  brought  out  by  the  Director  asking  questions  and  requir- 
ing definite  answers  from  the  members  of  the  class,  explanations  being 
made  and  discussion  entered  into  wherever  necessary. 

If  the  contents  of  this  book  induce  you  to  give  this  method  of  instruc- 
tion a  thorough  trial,  it  will  have  served  it  purpose ;  for  it  is  believed  that 
you  will  find  it  the  very  best  method  of  instructing  in  Minor  Tactics. 


TACTICAL  WALK  No.  1 

AN  ADVANCE  GUARD 
The  Problem 

General  Situation:  . 

The  (a)  forms  the  boundary  between  hostile  states.    A  Blue  brigade  is 
mbbolizing  at  (b).    A  Red  force  is  assembling  at   (c),  and  has  small  de- 
tachments of  cavalry  at  various  points  along  the  border. 
Special  Situation— Blue : 

A  Blue  detachment,  consisting  of  one  battalion  of  infantry  and  a 
machine-gun  company,  camps  for  the  night  (d)  at  (e). 

At  11.30  a.  m.  (/),  Major  Z,  commanding,  decides  to  march  toward  (#), 
and  issues  the  following  verbal  orders  to  the  assembled  officers : 

"The  enemy's  cavalry  has  occupied  points  along  the  border.  Our  brigade 
continues  mobilizing  at  (h). 

"This  detachment  will  march  towards   (i). 

"Captain  B,  with  Company  B,  will  form  the  advance  guard.  March  at 
1.00  p.  m.,  by  the  (/)  —  (&)  —  (/)  road. 

"The  remainder  of  the  detachment  will  follow  at  a  distance  of  600  yards 
in  the  order,  C,  D,  A,  Machine-Gun  Company. 

"The  outpost  will  stand  relieved  when  the  support  (m)  of  the  advance 
guard  passes  the  line  of  resistance  and  join  the  main  body  in  its  proper 
place. 

"The  field  trains  will  follow  without  distance. 

"Messages  to  head  of  main  body." 

On  returning  from  officers'  assembly,  Captain  B  assembles  the  non- 
commissioned officers  of  his  company  and  issues  the  following  verbal  orders 
for  the  advance  guard : 

"The  enemy's  cavalry  has  occupied  points  along  the  border.  Our  brigade 
continues  mobilizing  at  (n).  Our  detachment  marches  toward  (0).  The 
main  body  follows  the  advance  guard  at  600  yards. 

"This  company*  will  form  the  advance  guard. 

"The  first  platoon,  Sergeant  A,  will  form  the  advance  party.  March  at 
1.00  p.  m.,  via  the  (p)  —  (q)— (r)  road. 

"The  company  (less  first  platoon)  will  form  the  support.  Follow  the 
advance  party  at  400  yards. 

"The  company  wagon  will  join  the  battalion  field  trains. 

"Messages  to  head  of  support." 

Explanation  of  Symbols 

(a)  In  designating  the  boundary  line,  some  natural  topographical  or  geographical 
feature  will  be  selected,  such  as  a  river,  creek,  canal,  crest  of  a  range  of  hills,  etc. 
In  this  problem  the  boundary  may  be  located  several  marches  from  the  point  where 
the  problem  starts. 

(&)  The  point  selected  for  the  mobilization  place  of  the  Blue  brigade  should  be 
several  marches  from  the  border  in  friendly  territory. 

*  Company  B  has  only  one  officer  (the  Captain)  for  duty  with  it.  The  company  is 
organized  into  four  platoons  of  four  squads  each. 


10  Tactical  Walks 

(c)  The  assembly  point  for   the   enemy  will  be   in  his   own  territory,  two  or  more 
marches  from  the  border. 

(d)  A  particular  night  is  designated  by  citing  the  date  of  the  day  preceding  and  the 
day  following.     For  example,  the  night  of  January  27  would  be  designated.     "The  night 
27/28  Jan."     The  figures  are  always  entered  before  the  month. 

(e)  The  point  selected  for  the  camp   of  the  battalion.      It   should  be   at   the   place 
chosen  for  the  beginning  of  the  tactical  walk.     It  may  be  one  or  more  marches  from 
the  feature  designated  as  the  border. 

(/)   The  date  of  the  tactical  walk  will  be  used  here. 

(g    Some  point  situated  on  the  road  leading  towards  the  border. 

(h)   Same  point  as  designated  in   (&).   . 

(t)   Same  point  as  designated  in  (fir). 

(y) — (£) — (/)  A  road  is  described  in  field  orders  by  naming  several  places  located 
thereon.  Where  a  map  having  the  cross-roads  numbered  is  available  these  may  be 
used:  for  example:  The  "17 — 9 — 11  road"  would  mean  the  road  passing  through  the 
cross  roads  numbered  17,  9  and  11,  or  the  "Fort  Leavenworth — Atchison  Cross — 
Frenchman — Kickapoo  road,"  which  would  mean  the  road  passing  the  place  above 
designated. 

(m)  The  outpost  of  a  command  usually  stands  relieved  when  the  support  of  the 
advance  guard  passes  the  line  of  resistance.  The  advance  guard  formation  has  been 
taken  up,  and  it  is  then  that  the'  responsibility  for  the  security  of  the  main  body  de- 
volves upon  the  advance  guard.  This  procedure  gives  the  outpost  commander  a  little 
time  to  assemble  his  command  preparatory  to  falling  into  his  proper  place  in  the 
column. 

(n)   Same  as  indicated  in   (&). 

(0)   Same  as  indicated  in   (p). 

(/>) — (g) — (r)    Description  of  road  as   outlined  in    (/) — (£) — (/). 

The  Problem 

Situation  No.  1: 

You,  Sergeant  A,  commanding  the  first  platoon,  have  been  detailed  to 
form  the  advance  party.  It  is  now  12.55  p.  m.  Your  platoon  is  formed 
here. 

Required: 

1.  What  action  are  you  going  to  take? 

2.  What  are  your  instructions  to  the  members  of  your  platoon? 

Procedure 

The  members  of  the  class  are  assembled  on  the  (/) — (k)  —  (/)  road 
(see  explanation  of  symbols,  page  9),  at  the  point  where  it  is  intended 
that  the  advance  guard  formation  is  to  ,be  taken  up. 

The  Director  states  that  before  taking  up  the  problem  he  desires  to 
make  a  few  remarks  on  the  formation  of  a  column  of  troops  on  the  march 
and  to  review  briefly  the  formation  and  duties  of  an  advance  guard. 

Discussion 

"A  column  of  troops  on  the  march  consists  of  a  main  body  and  such 
covering  detachments  as  may  be  necessary.  These  covering  detachments 
are  denominated  advance  guards,  rear  guards  and  flank  guards.  They  are 
thrown  out  for  the  purpose  of  gaining  information  of  the  enemy,  to  pro- 
tect the  main  body  from  surprise,  and  to  hold  the  enemy  a  sufficient  length 
of  time  for  the  main  body  to  prepare  for  action. 

"The  advance  guard  consist  of  a  series  of  detachments  increasing  pro- 
gressively from  head  to  rear,  each  being  charged  with  the  duty  of  pro- 
tecting from  surprise  the  body  immediately  following  it  and  gaining  time 
for  the  latter  to  prepare  for  action. 


An  Advance  Guard 

"The  advance  guard  is  normally  divided  into  a  support  and  a  reserve. 
From  the  support  an  advance  party  is  sent  to  the  front  a  few  hundred 
yards    and  from  time  to  time,  as  the  occasion  demands,  flanking  patrol 
are  sent  out  to  the  right  and  left.     In  a  small  advance  guard  such  as  we 
are  to  consider  in  this  Tactical  Walk  there  will  be  no  reserve.    To  have 
one  would  divide  the  company  into  too  many  parts  and  make  i 
more  difficult  for  the  Captain  to  handle. 

"This  is  the  normal  formation.  Conditions  may  change  this.  It  cannot 
be  blindly  followed  in  any  case.  You  must  consider  your  mission  and 
understand  the  underlying  principles  upon  which  the  normal  formation  is 
based.  Then  use  your  common-sense  in  meeting  the  situations  that  are 
presented  for  solution. 

"Now  let  us  see  what  the  duties  of  the  advance  guard  are : 

"1.  To  prevent  the  main  body  of  our  troops  from  being  fired  into  while 
they  are  in  a  formation  that  prevents  them  from  defending  themselves 
effectively.  You  can  all  imagine  what  would  happen  if  an  effective  fire 
were  suddenly  poured  into  the  company  while  it  is  marching  in  column 
of  squads  on  the  road. 

"2.  To  gain  information  of  the  enemy  by  sending  out  detachments  to 
the  front  and  flanks  at  such  points  as  may  be  necessary.  Here  is  an  im- 
portant point  to  remember.  Under  the  modern  conditions  of  warfare, 
the  haphazard  method  of  sending  flanking  patrols  has  every  chance  of 
resulting  in  disaster.  These  men  never  get  back  in  time  to  be  of  use  to 
you  when  you  neeed  them.  Much  of  this  patrolling  and  marching  of 
flanking  detachments  across  country  is  exhausting  and  wears  out  your 
troops.  It  should  be  reduced  to  the  minimum. 

"3.  To  push  back  small  parties  of  the  enemy.  The  progress  of  the  main 
body  must  not  be  arrested  by  small,  comparatively  insignificant  detachments 
of  the  enemy.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  advance  guard  to  brush  them  aside. 
How  many  times  at  maneuvers  have  you  seen  a  skillfully  handled  patrol 
make  your  whole  advance  guard  deploy.  It  should  have  been  swept  away 
by  the  advance  party.  The  idea  is  that  you  simply  have  to  keep  pushing 
to  the  front  until  you  really  encounter  something  that  will  stop  you. 

"4.  To  check  the  advance  of  the  enemy  in  force  long  enough  for  the 
main  body  to  prepare  for  action.  When  the  enemy  is  met  in  sufficient 
force  to  warrant  the  employment  of  troops  of  the  main  body  there  is  a 
certain  process  that  the  commander  has  to  go  through  before  he  is  pre- 
pared to  place  the  command  in  action.  A  reconnaissance  must  be  made 
to  determine  the  strength  and  dispositions  of  the  enemy,  for  it  would  be 
folly  to  commit  a  force  to  action  without  knowing  something  of  these 
elements.  Then  the  orders;  for  the  deployment  have  to  be  issued  and  the 
deployment  has  to  be  affected.  All  of  this  takes  a  certain  amount  of  time 
during  which  period  the  advance  guard  holds  off  the  enemy. 

"5.  To  remove  obstacles,  repair  the  roads  and  favor  in  every  way  the 
uninterrupted  progress  of  the  main  body. 

"These  are  the  duties  of  the  advance  guard.  These  are  the  things  that 
you  noncommissioned  officers  will  have  to  do  your  part  to  carry  out  when 
your  company  is  on  advance  guard  duty. 

"Are  there  any  questions?" 


12  Tactical  Walks 

Procedure 

The  Director  will  endeavor  to  answer  any  questions  that  may  be  asked 
at  this  time.  He  then  passes  out  a  copy  of  the  general  and  special  situa- 
tion to  each  man  and  gives  them  a  few  minutes  to  read  and  digest  it.  He 
reads  the  situation  over  aloud,  each  man  following  from  the  copy  in  his 
possession. 

"Sergeant  White,  give  a  brief  statement  of  the  tactical  situation  as 
you  understand  it,"  says  the  Director. 

As  the  sergeant  proceeds  the  Director  will  make  such  explanations  as 
may  be  necessary.  Other  memjbers  of  the  class  may  be  required  to  go 
over  the  problem  in  the  same  manner.  This  serves  to  fix  it  in  their  minds 
and  prevent  misunderstandings  as  the  problem  progresses.  When  the 
Director  is  assured  that  all  are  familiar  with  every  phase  of  the  problem, 
the  cards  bearing  Situation  No.  1  are  handed  out  and  the  men  given  a 
few  minutes  to  look  it  over. 

Solution 

The  Director  will  explain  to  the  men  that  each  is  to  now  consider  him- 
self as  being  Sergeant  A;  that  his  platoon  is  there  in  the  road  formed  in 
line  with  the  right  of  the  line  in  the  direction  of  the  march. 

"Sergeant  Grant,  what  is  the  first  thing  you  would  do?"  asks  the  Di- 
rector. 

"I  would  see  if  all  the  members  of  the  platoon  are  present,"  replies  the 
sergeant. 

"That  is  easily  done.  By  looking  over  the  platoon,  you  see  no  blank 
files.  Now  what  are  you  going  to  do?" 

"It  is  not  quite  1  o'clock  yet.  I  would  have  to  wait  until  that  time  be- 
fore marching  out,"  says  the  sergeant. 

"You  have  just  come  from  camp.  Have  you  inspected  your  men  to 
see  if  they  all  have  their  proper  equipment?" 

"No,  sir.     I  would  inspect  them  now." 

"All  right.     How  would  you  go  about  it?"  asks  the  Director. 

"I  would  open  ranks  and  then  give  the  command,  'Prepare  for  Inspec- 
tion/ I  would  make  the  inspection  in  the  usual  manner." 

"Sergeant  Hughes,  the  inspection  has  been  completed  and  the  ranks 
have  been  closed.  What  would  you  do  now  ?" 

"I  would  give  the  command:    With  ball  cartridges,  LOAD/" 

"Right.  We  are  now  ready  for  Sergeant  A's  orders  to  the  platoon. 
We  inspected  the  platoon  and  had  them  load  their  pieces  first  because  if 
anything  happens  to  push  us  out  a  little  ahead  of  time  we  can  give  in- 
structions as  we  go  along.  Whenever  possible  every  man  in  the  com- 
mand should,  have  some  idea  of  the  military  situation,  so  that  he  may  go 
about  his  work  more  intelligently.  At  maneuvers  and  exercises  this  will 
increase  interest  in  the  work,  and  in  actual  service  it  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary. Furthermore,  some  of  the  men  may  be  called  upon  to  act  indepen- 
dently, and  the  more  they  know  about  the  situation  the  more  intelligently 
they  can  act.  Corporal  Smith,  what  elements  must  be  included  in  the 
orders  to  the  platoon?" 


An  Advance  Guard  13 

Corporal  Smith  replies,  "They  ought  to  know  as  much  as  possible  about 
the  enemy,  and  all  about  what  our  own  troops  are  going  to  do.  They 
ought  to  know  the  mission  of  the  platoon.  They  ought  to  know  the 
formation  they  are  to  take,  the  road  they  are  going  to  march  on,  and 
where  to  send  information." 

"Where  did  you  find  the  model  which  prescribes  the  sequence  of  the 
order  you  have  just  stated?"  asks  the  Director. 

"In  the  Field  Service  Regulations.  It  is  the  same  for  a  patrol,  the 
same  for  a  regiment,  and  the  same  for  a  division." 

"Now,  applying  these  elements  and  considering  the  problem,  just  what 
information  of  the  enemy  and  our  own  troops  would  you  give  them, 
Corporal  Williams?" 

"I  would  tell  them  about  the  enemy's  cavalry  coming  to  the  border.  I 
guess  they  already  know  about  our  brigade  mobilizing  at  (h).  I  would  tell 
them  about  our  detachment  going  to  march  in  the  direction  of  (0)  and 
that  our  company  was  to  form  the  advance  guard  with  the  second,  third 
and  fourth  platoons  in  the  support,  following  us  at  a  distance  of  400  yards." 

"How  would  you  state  the  mission  of  the  platoon,  Corporal  Stout?" 

"I  would  say :  'This  platoon  forms  the  advance  party/  " 

"Now  comes  your  disposition  of  troops.  Into  what  parts  is  an  advance 
party  formed,  Corporal  Wilson?" 

"A  patrol  is  sent  out  to  the  front.  Connecting  files  march  .between  it 
and  the  advance  party  proper,  which  follows  at  about  150  to  200  yards 
in  rear.  Flanking  parties  may  be  sent  out  from  time  to  time.  These  are 
ordinarily  sent  from  the  support." 

"What  do  you  call  the  patrol  sent  to  the  front?" 

"It  is  called  a  point." 

"How  many  men  in  a  point?" 

"Sometimes  they  have  a  whole  squad  and  at  other  times  they  have  only 
four  men  under  a  noncommissioned  officer." 

"How  many  would  you  have  in  this  case?" 

"I  would  think  four  men  plenty.  We  never  use  more  men  than  are 
necessary.  If  the  advance  party  were  a  whole  company,  a  squad  would  be 
sent  out." 

"Sergeant  Mason,  what  other  instructions  would  you  give?" 

"I  would  indicate  the  road  that  we  are  to  march  on  and  tell  them  where 
to  send  messages  and  information,  or  tell  them  where  I  intend  to  march, 
and  they  will  know  that  that  is  the  place  to  send  information  and  mes- 
sages." 

Having  all  these  elements  in  mind,  the  Director,  in  order  to  save  time, 
repeats  the  order  that  Sergeant  A  would  give  his  platoon,  as  follows : 

Orders 

"With  ball  cartridges,  LOAD! 

"Enemy  cavalry  patrols  have  advanced  to  points  along  the  border  Our 
brigade  continues  mobilizing  at  (h).  Our  detachment  marches  this  after- 
noon towards  (0)  via  the  (/)—(£)--(/)  road.  Our  company  forms  the 
The  company  (less  this  platoon)  the  support. 

"This  platoon  forms  the  advance  party. 


14  Tactical  Walks 

"Sergeant  K  (guide),  take  the  rear  rank  of  the  first  squad  and  move 
out  as  a  point.  When  you  arrive  at  cross  roads  and  road  forks  flash  me 
WW*  and  I  will  direct  you. 

"Privates  G  and  H  (Nos.  1  and  2  front  rank,  first  squad)  will  form 
connecting  files  between  the  point  and  advance  party. 

"Private  L  (No.  3  front  rank)  will  march  with  me. 

"Corporal  Y  (squad  leader  first  squad)  will  march  at  the  rear  of  the 
platoon  and  watch  out  for  signals  from  the  rear. 

"I  will  march  at  the  head  of  the  advance  party." 

At  1  p.  m.  Sergeant  A  would  take  the  following  action  to  get  his  platoon 
into  formation  and  start  the  march: 

"First  squad :  Squad  right,  MARCH  1  When  the  squad  had  advanced  ten 
paces:  Squad,  HALT!  Sergeant  K,  take  charge  and  move  out  with  your 
point.  Connecting  files  march  at  the  proper  time.  Others  take  their  places 
when  practicable. 

"Platoon  right,  MARCH;  Platoon,  HALT!  As  skirmishers,  guide  center, 
MARCH  P 

When  the  rear  man  of  the  point  has  advanced  150  yards  to  the  front 
Sergeant  A  commands :  "Platoon  column,  MARCH  P  and  directs  "march 
in  column  of  files  on  each  side  of  the  road  1"  $ 

Explanation 

This  formation  places  the  platoon  in  position  for  rapid  deployment  to 
the  front,  with  the  squads  together  and  every  man  in  his  proper  place. 
Should  the  enemy  appear  on  the  flank  it  is  only  necessary  to  face  the  near- 
est column  of  files  in  the  direction  of  the  fire  and  you  have  a  formed 
skirmish  line.  The  ditches  usually  found  alongside  the  road  can  be  made 
readily  available  for  cover.  If  the  system  is  once  practiced  with  your 
company  you  will  immediately  see  the  advantage  of  it. 

Procedure 

The  Director  will  now  have  several  members  of  the  class  repeat  aloud 
the  orders  and  commands  given  by  Sergeant  A.  This  is  done  with  a 
view  to  drilling  the  method  into  their  systems  so  that  it  will  make  an 
everlasting  impression. 

*  The  signal  WW  is  adapted  from  Captain  Bjornstad's  work  "Small  Problems  for 
Infantry."  It  means  "Which  way?"  It  can  be  semaphored  in  a  second  and  is  useful 
for  directing  detachments  beyond  the  range  of  the  voice. 

t  Originated  by  Capt.  A.  J.  Dougherty,  U.  S.  Army. 


An  Advance  Guard  15 


Problem  No.  1  Card  No.  1 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Make  copies  of  the  problem,  one  for  each  man.     Prepare  copies  of  the  several 

situations  and  write  them  out  on  3  by  5  inch  cards,  one  for  each  man. 

2.  Conduct  the  class   to  a  point  on  the  road  where  it  is  intended  that  the  ad- 

vance guard   formation  is  to  be  taken  up. 

3.  Give  a  short  talk  on  the   subject   of   advance   guard: 

(a)  Formation  of  a  column  of  troops  on  the  march,  (fc)  Description  of 
advance  guard,  (c)  Normal  division  of  advance  guard,  (d)  Danger  of 
adhering  too  closely  to  normal  formation,  (e)  Duties  of  advance  guard: 
(1)  Security  of  main  body;  (2)  Gain  information;  (3)  Push  back  small 
parties  of  the  enemy;  (4)  Check  advance  of  enemy  in  force;  (5)  Clear 
the  road,  etc.  (/)  Duties  of  noncommissioned  officers  with  respect  to 
advance  guard  work. 

4.  Pass  out   sheets   bearing  the   general   and   special   situations,   and   the    cards 

bearing  Situation  No.   1. 

5.  Question  members  of  class  on   the  situation. 

6.  Take  up  solution  of  Sergeant  A: 

(a)  Verify  members  of  platoon.  (fc)  Inspection,  (c)  Load  pieces,  (d) 
Tell  men  the  military  situation  and  what  the  command  is  going  to  do. 
(?)  Elements  to  be  embodied  in  the  order.  (/)  Questions  to  bring  out 
formation  of  advance  party. 

7.  Repeat  orders  of  Sergeant  A: 

1.  Information  of  enemy  and  own  troops. 

2.  Mission  of  platoon. 

3.  Disposition :     (a)   Point,      (fc)   Connecting  file,    (c)    Spare  man  of  squad. 
(d)   Corporal  Y. 

4.  Where  march   or  where  messages  to  be  sent. 

8.  Forming  advance  guard: 

(a)  First  squad — orders  to  Sergeant  K  to  move  out. 
(fr)  Forming  up  rest  of  platoon  in  platoon  columns. 
(c)  Moving  out. 

9.  Have  members  of  the   class  repeat  orders  following  the  form   laid   down  in 

(7),  the  same  being  in  accordance  with  the  instruction  on  the  composition 
of  Field  Orders  in  the  Field  Service  Regulations. 


NOTE:  If  there  is  not  sufficient  space  on  the  face  of  a  3  by  5  inch  card  for  the  con- 
tents of  the  Director's  Key,  place  it  on  the  other  side  of  the  card. 

The  class  is  now  conducted  a  few  paces  along  the  road,  where  the  cards 
containing  the  following  situation  are  handed  out. 

The  Problem 
Situation  No.  2: 

You,  Sergeant  K,  have  been  designated  to  command  the  point,  comr 
posed  of  the  men  of  the  rear  rank  of  the  first  squad.  They  are  standing 
here,  ready  to  move  out. 

Required : 

What  action  do  you  take? 

Explanation 

The  Director  will  explain  that  each  man  is  to  now  consider  himself  as 
being  Sergeant  K;  that  his  men  are  waiting  and  ready  to  move  out;  that 
they  have  all  heard  the  orders  just  issued  by  Sergeant  A;  that  they  are 
familiar  with  the  tactical  situation  and  the  part  the  company  is  to  play 
in  it.  Pieces  have  been  loaded. 

The  Director  here  makes  a  few  remarks  on  the  conduct  of  the  point. 


16  Tactical  Walks 

Discussion 

"The  point  of  the  advance  guard  should  lose  no  time  in  starting  out 
after  it  has  been  ordered  to  form.  While  getting  the  formation  the  first 
three  men  to  move  out  should  generally  do  so  at  an  increased  gait,  slow- 
ing down  to  the  regular  rate  of  march  when  the  third  man  has  gotten 
the  proper  distance. 

"The  point  is  nothing  more  or  less  than  a  small  combat  patrol  that  has 
been  assigned  a  definite  line  of  advance,  and  its  operations  are  conducted 
on  that  basis.  It  may  be  bold  and  aggressive,  for  the  advance  party  is 
following  close  behind,  ready  to  back  it  up. 

"It  will  be  remembered  that  the  outposts  are  charged  with  the  duty  of 
security  until  the  support  has  passed  the  line  of  resistance  so  that  Ser- 
geant A  has  some  little  distance  in  which  to  form  his  point  and  get  it 
into  operation. 

Solution 

"Corporal  Jones,  what  formation  would  you  give  the  point?"  asks  the 

Director. 

"I  would  use  the  Boni  point  system  having  the  leading  man  on  the 
left-hand  side  of  the  road ;  then,  20  paces  in  rear  of  him,  the  second  man 
would  march  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road ;  20  paces  in  rear  of  the 
second  man  the  third  man  would  march  on  the  same  side  of  the  road  as 
the  first.  The  rear  man  would  march  behind  the  third  man  20  yards  on 
the  side  of  the  road  where  he  can  best  observe  to  the  rear." 

"That  is  a  very  good  formation.  It  places  whatever  cover  may  be 
available  at  the  disposal  of  the  men  and  gives  them  a  quite  invulnerable 
formation.  Besides,  the  men  marching  on  opposite  sides  of  the  road 
may  be  able  to  see  greater  distances  to  the  front.  This  is  especially  so 
where  the  road  is  winding,"  remarks  the  Director. 

"Where  would  you,  as  point  commander,  march?" 

"I  would  not  assign  a  definite  place.  I  would  march  wherever  I  could 
best  superintend  the  operations  of  the  point,"  answers  Corporal  Jones. 

"Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  men  have  heard  all  the  instructions 
of  Sergeant  A,  are  familiar  with  the  tactical  situation  and  the  part  the 
company  is  to  play  in  it,  are  there  any  other  instructions  that  Sergeant 
K  must  give  to  his  men,  Sergeant  Hughes?" 

"Well,  sir,  I  think  they  know  about  everything  that  is  necessary,"  an- 
swers the  sergeant. 

"Suppose  something  should  happen  to  Sergeant  K,  who  would  take  com- 
mand?" asks  the  Director. 

"I  had  not  thought  of  that.  Some  man  of  the  point  should  be  desig- 
nated as  second  in  command." 

"Anything  else?"  queries  the  Director. 

"Not  that  I  know  of,  sir." 

"Can  you  think  of  anything,   Corporal  Williams?" 

"Yes,  sir.  Some  one  man  should  be  specially  detailed  to  look  out  for 
signals  from  the  rear." 

"That  is  exactly  the  point  that  I  desired  to  bring  out,"  says  the  Director. 
"What  is  everybody's  business  is  nobody's  business,  and  unless  some  one 
man  is  detailed  to  look  out  for  this  it  will  probably  not  be  done.  Sergeant 


An  Advance  Guard  17 

K  is  going  to  be  too  busy  conducting  his  point  to  give  this  matter  con- 
sideration." 

"Sergeant  Cole,  you  may  state  the  words  that  Sergeant  K  would  use 
in  instructing  the  members  of  the  point  and  putting  it  in  motion.  Take 
into  consideration  the  points  that  we  have  just  covered." 

Sergeant  Cole  states:  "I  would  call  the  men  to  'attention.'  M,  you 
will  be  second  in  command.  L,  you  are  charged  with  looking  for  signals 
from  the  rear.  The  three  leading  men  will  move  at  double  time  until  we 
get  our  formation,  then  slow  down  to  quick  time.  N,  move  out;  march 
on  that  (left)  side  of  the  road  (pointing).  O,  follow  at  20  paces  on 
this  (right)  side  of  the  road.  When  O  has  advanced  20  paces,  M,  move 
out ;  march  on  that  (left)  side  of  the  road.  L,  you  follow  at  20  paces." 

Discussion 

"That  is  a  very  good  solution  of  the  situation,"  says  the  Director,  then 
continuing:  "I  want  to  call  the  attention  of  the  members  of  the  class 
to  the  manner  in  which  we  are  working  out  the  details  of  these  situations. 
It  is  my  desire  to  have  you  realize  that  it  is  the  method  that  you  will 
have  to  pursue  in  working  out  such  problems  in  actual  practice.  When 
a  noncommissioned  officer  takes  charge  of  a  detachment  for  any  tactical 
duty  and  gives  his  instructions  in  a  clear  and  concise  manner,  leaving 
nothing  in  the  air  to  be  guessed  at,  he  inspires  the  confidence  of  the  men ; 
for  they  realize  immediately  that  there  is  some  one  at  the  helm  who 
knows  his  business,  and  they  cheerfully  respond.  You  should  practice 
stating  the  instruction  that  you  would  give  under  the  various  tactical  situ- 
ations that  you  may  be  called  upon  to  handle,  such  as  those  to  an  advance 
party,  the  point  of  an  advance  guard,  a  flank  patrol  from  an  advance 
guard,  an  outguard  or  picket,  a  sentinel  posted  from  an  outguard,  a  vis- 
iting patrol,  a  reconnoitering  patrol,  a  covering  patrol,  a  combat  patrol, 
and  for  a  detached  post.  There  is  no  surer  way  to  gain  that  confidence 
so  necessary  to  military  efficiency." 

Procedure 

The  Director  then  inquires,  "Are  there  any^  questions?"  He  endeavors 
to  answer  any  that  may  be  propounded,  after  which  the  class  proceeds  to 
the  consideration  of  the  next  situation. 


Problem  No.  1  Card  No.  2 

DIRECTOR'S   KEY 

1.  Hand   out   card  bearing  situation   No.    2. 

2.  Remarks  on  point  of  advance  guard:    (a)     Starting,     (fc)  Combat  patrol,     (c) 

Outposts  furnish   security  until   the  advance  guard  is  formed 

3.  formation   of  point.      Remarks  on   advantages   of   Boni  point   formation. 

4.  Where  Sergeant  K  marches. 

5.  Instructions  to  members  of  point:    (a)    Second  in  command,      (fe)    One  man 

watch  for  signals   from  rear,      (c)    Remarks. 

6.  Orders  of  Sergeant  K:     (a)   Attention.     (6)   Second  in  command,     (c)     Sig- 

nal observer,     (d)   Formation  orders. 

7.  Remarks:    (a)    Method  of  solving  details  of  problem.      (6)    Confidence,      (c) 

Practice  giving   instructions    to   meet   small   tactical   situations. 


18  Tactical  Walks 

Procedure 

The  Director  conducts  the  class  to  a  point  on  the  road  where  there 
is  an  open  space  to  the  front  for  several  hundred  yards,  with  a  wood  or 
hedge  or  some  other  natural  feature  where  a  cavalry  patrol  of  the  enemy 
may  locate  themselves.  At  this  point  the  class  is  halted  and  the  cards 
bearing  the  following  situation  are  handed  out : 

The  Problem 

Situation  No.  3: 

Your  leading  man  has  arrived  at  this  point.  You  are  marching  abreast 
of  him  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road.  You  see  a  few  Red  soldiers 
in  the  edge  of  that  wood  to  the  left  of  the  road.  You  observe  several  led 
horses  back  in  the  wood  a  little  distance.  You  estimate  that  there  are 
about  six  men  in  the  party.  They  apparently  have  not  seen  you. 

Required: 

What  action  do  you  take? 

Procedure 

The  Director  reads  over  the  situation,  points  out  the  location  where 
the  troopers  are  supposed  to  be  located  and  directs  each  member  of  the 
class  to  make  a  memorandum  on  his  pad  of  his  solution  to  the  problem, 
About  ten  minutes  will  be  allowed  for  this.  When  the  time  is  up  several 
members  of  the  class  will  be  called  upon  to  read  their  memoranda,  after 
which  all  will  be  collected  and  again  distributed.  Care  will  be  taken  to 
see  that  no  one  gets  his  own  memorandum  back  again.  This  method  is 
employed  for  the  purpose  of  creating  more  interest  in  the  work,  for  if 
a  man  knows  that  his  writings  are  to  be  viseed  by  his  comrades  he  will 
take  more  care  in  their  preparation. 

Solution 

The  Director  states :  "The  situation  has  been  covered  more  or  less  in 
the  memoranda  we  have  just  heard.  Now,  let  us  take  it  up  in  detail  and, 
step  by  step,  arrive  at  a  solution.  Sergeant  White,  what  would  you  do?" 

"I  would  open  fire  at  once,  sir/' 

"Tell  us  just  how  you  would  do  it." 

"N  and  myself  would  open  fire  as  soon  as  we  see  the  enemy.  The 
other  men  of  the  point,  seeing  us  do  this,  would  come  up  and  join  in 
the  firing." 

"How  would  you  handle  this  situation,  Sergeant  Hughes?"  asks  the 
Director. 

"As  soon  as  I  see  the  enemy  I  would  call  to  N.  'Down !  Enemy  in 
edge  of  woods/  Then  I  would  signal  and  call  to  the  rest  of  the  men 
of  the  point,  'Double  Time!'  While  they  are  coming  up  I  would  say 
Target.  Enemy  in  edge  of  woods.  Nine  o'clock.  Battle  sight.  Fire  at 
Will!'  The  command  to  fire  would  be  given  as  soon  as  all  the  men  had 
come  up  on  the  line,  or  sooner  if  I  observed  that  the  enemy  was  making 
a  move  to  get  away." 


An  Advance  Guard  19 

"Would  you  join  in  the  firing  yourself?" 

"No,  sir.  I  would  not.  I  figure  that  I  would  have  plenty  to  do  to 
direct  the  fire  of  the!  other  men,  search  the  landscape  to  see  if  I  can  dis- 
cover any  other  parties  of  the  enemy,  and  get  word  back  to  the  advance 
party  commander  of  what  is  happening  in  front,"  replies  Sergeant 
Hughes. 

"What  do  you  think  of  that  solution,  Sergeant  White?" 

"I  think  it  is  all  right,  sir.  I  can  see  now  why  it  would  be  better  to 
get  all  the  rifles  into  action  at  the  same  time,  provided  the  enemy  made 
no  move  to  get  away.  If  he  made  any  move  in  that  direction  before  all 
the  men  were  up,  I  should  certainly  open  fire  with  all  the  men  who  were 
there  at  the  time.  I  can  also  see  why  Sergeant  K  would  not  join  in  the 
firing.  He  will  have  plenty  to  do  without  firing." 

Explanation 

"Sergeant  Hughes  provided  for  that  contingency  by  stating  that  he  would 
open  fire  if  the  enemy  made  any  move  to  get  away,"  says  the  Director, 
continuing:  "the  advantage  of  waiting  until  all  the  rifles  are  on  the  line 
is  that,  as  soon  as  these  cavalrymen  are  fired  into,  they  will  probably 
break  for  their  horses  to  make  their  getaway.  For  only  a  few  seconds 
will  they  furnish  a  target.  It  will  take  only  a  moment  for  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  point  to  be  up  on  the  line.  If  our  point  can  cause  them  to 
suffer  sufficient  casualties,  they  may  fall  back  and  not  attempt  further 
reconnaissance,  especially  if  they  can  down  the  patrol  leader.  If  the  lead- 
ing man  of  the  point  opens  fire,  by  the  time  the  last  man  gets  up  the 
enemy  will  be  well  under  way  and  there  will  be  no  target  to  fire  at.  If 
the  cavalrymen  return  the  fire,  they  at  once  reveal  themselves,  and  Ser- 
geant K  will  do  well  to  be  seeking  out  other  detachments  in  the  same 
vicinity.  A  reconnoitering  patrol  does  not  fire  on  an  occasion  of  this 
kind,  unless  they  are  surprised  and  are  compelled  to  do  so  in  self-defense. 
They  have  a  much  better  chance  of  accomplishing  their  mission  of  secur- 
ing information  by  avoiding  combat.  If  this  small  body  opens  fire,  it  may 
be  reasonably  assumed  that  they  are  either  being  backed  up  by  other 
troops  or  have  accomplished  their  mission  of  finding  out  the  strength  and 
composition  of  our  column  and  have  turned  themselves  into  a  combat 
patrol  and  opened  fire  to  delay  us  or  give  information  to  their  own  troops 
that  we  are  advancing  n  force.  If  they  immediately  make  a  getaway, 
it  will  indicate  that  they  are  a  reconnoitering  patrol  and  will  probably 
try  to  work  around  the  flanks  to  get  information  of  our  main  body.  They 
will  know  as  soon  as  we  open  fire  that  we  are  not  a  reconnoitering  patrol 
and  that  we  are  closely  backed  up  by  other  troops. 

"Corporal  Williams,  how  would  you  get  word  back  to  Sergeant  A  of 
what  is  going  on  in  front? 

"I  would  hold  my  rifle  horizontally  over  my  head  to  indicate  'enemy  in 
sight,  in  small  numbers.' " 

"That  would  not  give  Sergeant  A  much  information.  When  you  open 
fire  he  knows  that  you  are  firing  on  an  enemy.  His  common-sense  tells 
him  that  the  enemy  is  in  small  force.  Why  not  semaphore  the  informa- 
tion to  him? 


20  Tactical  Walks 

"Well,  I  guess  that  would  be  better.  It  would  only  take  a  moment, 
and  it  would  give  him  some  real  information,"  says  Corporal  Williams. 

"What  is  the  message  you  would  semaphore  back,  Corporal  Edwards?" 

"I  would  simply  tell  him  how  many  and  what  kind  of  troops." 

"What  I  want  is  the  exact  words  that  you  would  send,"  says  the  Director. 

"I  would  semaphore  :     'Eight  men.     Cavalry.'  " 

"I  think  that  would  give  the  sergeant  all  the  information  that  he  could 
reasonably  expect  under  the  circumstances." 

"Now  let  us  make  a  review  of  the  action  taken  by  Sergeant  K,  under 
the  situation.  You  may  recite  it,  Sergeant  James." 

Sergeant  James  states:  "Call  to  N,  'Down!  Enemy  in  edge  of  wood' 
(pointing  to  left  front).  Kneel  myself.  Call  and  signal  to  the  other  men 
of  the  point  'Double  Time  !'  As  they  come  up,  command :  'Target !  En- 
emy in  edge  of  woods.  Nine  o'clock.  Battle  sight.  When  all  is  ready 
or  the  enemy  makes  any  move  to  get  away,  Fire  at  Will !  Make  a  hasty 
examination  of  the  landscape  to  see  if  I  can  locate  other  men  of  the 
enemy.  Semaphore  to  Sergeant  A:  'Eight 'men.  Cavalry/" 

Discussion 

The  Director  states :  "You  now  see  the  elements  involved  in  this  simple 
situation.  You  see  the  responsibility  that  devolves  upon  noncommissioned 
officers  when  they  are  placed  in  the  position  of  Sergeant  K.  To  know 
what  to  do  and  how  to  do  it  requires  training  in  the  close  attention  to 
details.  Probably  any  of  us  could  go  out  and  blunder  through  a  situa- 
tion of  this  kind,  but  it  takes  a  man  trained  in  military  tactics  to  make 
his  decisions  quickly  and  to  act  upon  them  promptly  and  take  advantage 
of  the  fleeting  moments  to  inflict  damage  on  the  enemy.  These  are  the 
things  that  we  study  to  become  proficient  in.  You  cannot  put  too  much 
time  on  these  phases  of  your  profession.  You  may  know  all  about  your 
guard  duty  and  garrison  service.  These  are  only  mere  incidents  to  the 
soldier's  real  job.  It  is  tactics  that  you  must  know.  What  your  (com- 
mander wants  is  noncommissioned  officers  who  he  feels  confident  will  meet 
tactical  situations  that  confront  them,  with  judgment  and  decision.  There 
is  no  royal  road  to  success  along  this  line.  You  can  acquire  this  knowledge 
only  through  study  and  actual  practice.  Are  there  any  questions?" 

The  Director  answers  any  questions  that  may  be  asked. 


Problem  No.  1  Card  No.  3 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Conduct   class   to   suitable   point   on   road. 

2.  Hand   out  cards  containing  Situation   No.   3. 

3.  Make   memo   of   solution   on    pads.      Read   some    of    them.      Collect   and   re- 

distribute. 

4.  Take  up  solution  in,  details:     (a)   First  action  taken,      (fc)    Opening  fire,   (c) 

Does  Sergeant  K  fire? 

5.  Estimate  of   enemy:     (a)     Reconnoitering  patrols,     (fc)     Combat  patrol,     (c) 

General   discussion. 

6.  Message  to  Sergeant  A.     (a)   Method  of  sending.     (£>)   Composition. 

7.  Have  members  of  class  repeat   solution. 

8.  Discussion:  training  of  noncommissioned  officers. 


The  cards  bearing  the  following  situation  are  now  handed  out. 


An  Advance  Guard  21 

The  Problem 

Situation  No.  4a: 

As  soon  as  you  opened  fire  the  enemy  fell  back  under  the  cover  of  the 
woods.     They  did  not  return  the  fire.     You  observe  two  riderless  horses 
galloping  through  the  woods. 
Required: 

What  action  do  you  take? 

Solution 

The  Director  will  announce  that  the  solution  to  this  situation  will  be 
made  orally.  No  memorandum  will  be  required. 

"Corporal  Scott,  what  would  you  do  now?" 

"I  would  form  up  my  point  in  the  original  order  of  march  and  move 
out  along  the  road.  We  would  march  at  double  time  until  we  gained  our 
distance/' 

"What  command  with  respect  to  firing  would  you  have  given  the  men?" 

"I  would  have  signaled  'Cease  Firing !' " 

"Anything  else?" 

"No,  sir.     Not  that  I  know  of." 

"Would  you  have  given  any  other  command,  Corporal  Jones  ?" 

"Yes,  sir.  I  would  have  signaled  'Cease  Firing!'  and  then  followed 
with  'Load !' " 

The  Director  would  explain  that  ,by  this  time  the  advance  party  would 
have  drawn  very  close  to  the  point  and  that  Sergeant  A  would  probably 
be  sufficiently  close  to  Sergeant  K  for  the  latter  to  talk  to  him. 

"Sergeant  Hughes,  what  information  of  the  enemy  would  you  give 
Sergeant  A?' 

"I  would  tell  him:  The  enemy  was  a  reconnoitering  patrol  of  eight 
cavalrymen.  They  fell  back  under  cover  of  the  woods.  I  saw  two  rider- 
less horses  in  the  woods  after  they  withdrew?" 

"What  would  you  do  now,  Corporal  White?" 

"I  would  double  time  up  to  my  point." 

Procedure 

The  class  is  now  conducted  some  300  yards  to  the  front,  where  the 
cards  bearing  the  following  situation  are  handed  out: 

The  Problem 

Situation  No.  4b: 

Your  point  has  arrived  here.  Off  to  the  left  flank  you  see  six  mounted 
men  which  you  estimate  to  be  the  survivors  of  the  patrol  that  you  fired 
into.  They  are  distant  about  1,500  yards  and  moving  practically  parallel 
to  and  towards  the  rear  of  the  main  body. 

Required: 

What  action  do  you  take? 


22  Tactical  Walks 

Solution 

The  Director  again  explains  that  the  solution  will  be  made  orally  and 
that  no  memoranda  will  be  required. 

"Sergeant  Hughes,  how  do  you  size  up  the  situation  now?" 

"Well,  sir,  I  figure  that  the  men  we  see  now  are  members  of  the  force 
that  we  fired  into.  That  it  is  a  reconnoitering  patrol.  That  they  are 
working  around  our  left  flank  to  get  in  touch  with  our  column  to  find 
out  its  strength  and  composition.  They  are  too  far  away  to  fire  upon. 
I  would  say  that  the  point  has  no  further  concern  with  them  at  this  time, 
other  than  to  send  information  to  the  advance  party  commander  regard- 
ing the  move  they  have  made." 

"That  is  about  right,"  remarks  the  Director.  "Now,  Corporal  Ken- 
nedy, what  information  would  you  send  back,  and  how  would  you  send 
it?  I  want  you  to  tell  me  just  how  you  would  go  about  it." 

Corporal  Kennedy  replies :  "I  would  fall  back  to  where  Private  L  is 
marching.  I  would  say  to  him :  'You  go  back  to  Sergeant  K.  Tell  him 
that  the  cavalry  patrol  which  we  fired  on  has  withdrawn  towards  our 
left  flank.  That  there  are  probably  two  dead  or  wounded  cavalrymen  in 
the  woods.  Point  out  the  place  to  him.  Rejoin  the  point  when  you 
can.'  As  I  again  moved  to  the  front  I  would  say  to  Private  M :  'Look 
out  for  signals  from  the  rear !' " 

The  Director  explains  that  the  point  of  an  advance  guard  is  not  charged 
with  sending  out  any  men  to  the  flank  for  scouting  purposes.  That  is 
done  by  the  advance  party  or  support. 


Problem  No.  1  Card  No.  4 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Hand  out  cards  containing  Situation   No.  4a. 

2.  Announce  oral  solution. 

3.  Question    members    of    class:      (a)   Formation    of    point    again.      (fc)   Cease 

firing.    Load,     (c)  Verbal  message  to   Sergeant  A. 

4.  Hand  out  cards  containing   Situation  No.   4fc. 

5.  Estimate    of    situation:      (a)   Cavalry    reconnoitering    patrol.       (b)  Working 

around  flank. 

6.  Message    to    Sergeant   A:     (a)  Who   takes    it.      (fc)  Contents,     (c)   Instruc- 

tions to  Private  L. 


At  this  point  the  cards  bearing  the  following  situation  are  handed  out: 

The  Problem 

Situation  No.  5: 

You,  Sergeant  A,  with  the  advance  party,  has  arrived  at  this  point. 
Private  L  delivers  Sergeant  K's  message  and  points  out  the  place  at  the 
edge  of  the  wood  where  the  enemy  was  located  when  the  point  fired  on 
them. 

Required: 

What  action  do  you  take? 


An  Advance  Guard 
Explanation 

The  Director  explains  that  the  members  of  the  class  are  to  now  con- 
sider themselves  as  being  Sergeant  A  again,  in  command  of  the  advance 
party. 

There  are  several  elements  to  be  considered  by  Sergeant  A  in  the  solu- 
tion of  this  situation.  In  the  first  place,  he  would  have  sent  a  verbal 
message  back  to  the  Captain  relative  to  the  cause  of  the  firing  at  the 
front.  Then,  when  the  message  about  the  enemy's  patrol  pulling  off  to 
the  left  flank  and  the  wounded  or  dead  men  in  the  edge  of  the  woods  is 
received,  he  has  to  consider  what  action  he  would  take. 

The  enemy  patrol  is  evidently  endeavoring  to  work  around  the  left  flank 
with  a  view  to  gaining  a  position  where  they  can  observe  the  march  of 
the  main  body  and  determine  its  strength  and  composition.  Is  it  the  duty 
of  the  advance  party  to  try  and  prevent  this?  With  such  a  small  advance 
party  it  can  hardly  be  expected  to  send  patrols  out  so  far  to  the  flanks. 
It  will  require  a  patrol  of  at  least  a  squad  to  perform  this  work,  perhaps 
two  of  them,  and  it  has  best  be  left  to  the  support.  With  respect  to 
investigating  the  question  of  the  wounded  or  dead  cavalrymen  at  the 
edge  of  the  woods,  this  is  only  a  short  distance  from  the  road,  and  a  small 
patrol  from  the  advance  party  may  be  sent  out  for  the  purpose.  The 
next  question  is,  how  to  get  the  message  about  the  enemy  patrol  back  to 
the  support  commander. 

Solution 

"Sergeant  Wilson,  how  would  you  get  the  message  back?"  asks  the 
Director. 

"I  would  send  Private  L,  the  messenger  from  the  point,  back  to  the 
Captain  to  give  him  the  message.  This  will  save  repeating  it  to  another 
messenger,  with  the  loss  of  time  incident  thereto,  and  also  eliminate  the 
chance  of  error  due  to  such  a  transfer." 

"That  seems  to  be  the  logical  course  to  pursue.  We  will  decide  to  do 
it  that  way.  Now,  you  have  practically  permanently  reduced  the  point 
to  three  men  (and  a  leader).  How  would  you  bring  it  back  up  to  the 
proper  strength,  Corporal  Jones?" 

"Sergeant  A  still  has  a  member  of  the  first  squad  with  him.  He  would 
send  this  man  forward  to  report  to  Sergeant  K  for  duty  with  the  point." 

"Corporal  Whyte,  how  would  you  arrange  for  the  investigation  at  the 
edge  of  the  woods?" 

"I  would  send  a  small  patrol  out  there." 

"Sergeant  Hanly,  considering  all  the  elements  that  we  have  just  gone 
over,  you  may  state  the  orders  that  Sergeant  A  would  give  to  meet  ihe 
situation." 

Sergeant  Hanly  makes  the  following  solution: 

1.  To  Private  L:    "You  go  back  to  the  Captain.     Repeat  your  mes- 
sage to  him.     Tell  him  I  am  sending  a  patrol  to  investigate  at  the  edge 
of  the  woods  where  the  enemy  was  fired  on." 

2.  To  Private  R,  the  remaining  man  of  the  first  squad:     "You  take  up 
an  increased  gait  and  join  the  point  when  you  can.    Tell  Sergeant  K  that 
I  have  sent  L  back  to  the  Captain  with  his  message  and  that  I  am  send- 
ing a  patrol  to  the  edge  of  the  woods  to  investigate." 


24  Tactical  Walks 

3.  To  Corporal  S,  third  squad:  "You  have  heard  the  message  just 
brought  back  by  Private  L.  Take  the  front  rank  of  your  squad  and 
reconnoiter  the  edge  of  that  wood.  Locate  the  wounded  or  dead  of  the 
enemy  and  report  the  facts  in  the  case  to  the  battalion  commander  when 
he  comes  up.  Join  the  advance  party  when  you  can." 

"I  think  these  orders  cover  the  situation  admirably,"  says  the  Director. 
"We  will  now  proceed  to  the  front,  where  we  will  take  up  the  next  situ- 
ation for  consideration." 


Problem  No.  1  Card  No.  5 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Hand  out  cards  bearing  Situation  No.    5. 

2.  Explain  that  each  member  of  the  class  is  to  now  consider  himself  as  being 

Sergeant  A. 

3.  Explain  elements  of  situation  and  lead  up  to   a  solution  of  the  problem  by 

questioning  the  men:  (a)  Message  to  Captain  regarding  firing.  (&) 
Action  of  enemy  patrol,  (c)  Sending  out  patrols  from  advance  party, 
(d)  Investigation  at  edge  of  woods. 

4.  Solution:     (a)   Sending  message   back.      (fc)   Patrol  to    edge  of  woods,      (c) 

Reinforcing  point  from  advance  party. 


Procedure 

The  Director  now  conducts  the  class  some  distance  along  the  road  that 
the  advance  guard  is  supposed  to  ;be  marching  on,  preferably  to  a  cross 
road,  where  the  following  situation  is  given  out : 

The   Problem 

Situation  No.  6: 

"You,  Sergeant  A,  have  arrived  at  this  point  with  the  advance  party. 
Corporal  R's  patrol  has  not  yet  rejoined.  At  this  moment  the  signal 
'Halt'  comes  from  the  rear.  You  halt  the  advance  party.  A  few  minutes 
later  the  first  sergeant  delivers  the  following  message  to  you  from  the 
Captain:  "There  is  no  further  information  of  the  enemy.  The  column 
halts  for  one  hour.  The  advance  guard  will  form  the  march  outposts. 
The  advance  party  will  form  the  observation  groups.  The  support  will 
be  posted  at  this  cross  road.  When  the  advance  is  resumed  the  second 
platoon  will  form  the  advance  party.  The  Captain  will  be  at  this  cross 
road." 

Required : 

What  action  do  you  take? 

Explanation  and  Discussion 

The  Director  outlines  the  elements  of  the  situation: 

"When  a  column  on  the  march  halts  for  any  considerable  length  of 
time  the  advance  guard  continues  its  covering  duty  by  forming  march 
outposts.  These  are  simply  patrols  sent  out  a  certain  distance  to  the 
front,  where  they  halt  and  remain  until  they  are  recalled. 


An  Advance  Guard 

'The  advance  party  usually  furnishes  these  patrols.  The  support  is 
posted  at  some  central  point  from  which  it  may  readily  reinforce  any 
group  that  may  be  threatened  by  the  enemy. 

"The  patrols  cover  the  routes  by  which  the  enemy  may  approach.  In 
this  case  it  will  be  necessary  to  send  a  patrol  to  the  front  on  the  road 
on  which  the  column  is  marching.  Another  patrol  will  have  to  be  sent 
to  the  (direction,  by  points  of  compass,  say  east),  on  the  road  leading 
from  that  direction,  and  another  sent  to  the  (direction)  west,  on  the  road 
leading  from  that  direction. 

"Having  these  requirements  in  mind,  Sergeant  A  will  consider  the  men 
that  he  has  available  for  the  duty.  Of  the  first  squad  he  has  the  four 
men  of  the  point,  the  two  connecting  files  and  the  squad  leader.  Of  the 
third  squad  he  has  only  the  rear  rank.  He  has  the  second  and  fourth 
squads  intact." 

Procedure 

The  Director  now  instructs  the  members  of  the  class  to  make  a  memo- 
randum of  their  disposition  on  their  pads.  Several  minutes  are  allowed 
for  this,  after  which  the  memoranda  are  collected,  several  are  read,  and 
they  are  distributed  again,  being  careful  to  see  that  no  man  gets  his  own 
memorandum  .back  again. 

Solution 

The  Director  says:  "Sergeant  Hughes,  what  force  would  you  send  out 
on  the  main  road  to  the  front?" 

"I  would  detail  Sergeant  K  to  command.  I  would  give  him  the  men 
of  the  point  (4),  the  connecting  files  (2),  Corporal  Y,  of  the  first  squad, 
and  the  men  (4)  of  the  rear  rank  of  the  third  squad.  This  would  give 
him  a  corporal  and  ten  privates,  which  I  should  judge  would  be  sufficient." 

"What  troops  would  you  detail  to  cover  the  road  leading  from  the 
(direction)  east,  Sergeant  James?" 

"I  would  send  the  second  squad  intact  out  there,  sir." 

"How  would  you  cover  the  road  leading  from  the  (direction)  west, 
Corporal  Jones?"  asks  the  Director. 

"I  would  send  all  of  the  fourth  squad  under  the  squad  leader." 

Procedure 

"Now,  having  all  these  elements  of  the  problem  in  mind,  each  of  you 
make  a  memorandum  of  the  orders  that  you  would  give  in  the  case.  What 
I  want  is  the  exact  words  that  Sergeant  A  would  employ  on  this  occasion. 
Let  me  remind  you  of  the  preliminary  sentences  before  you  start  to  give 
the  orders  for  the  disposition  of  the  troops." 

The  same  procedure  as  heretofore  prescribed  will  be  employed  in  read- 
ing, collecting  and  distributing  the  memoranda. 

Solution 

"Now,  Sergeant  Williams,  you  may  state  the  order  that  Sergeant  A 
would  give." 


26  Tactical  Walks 

Sergeant  Williams  proceeds :  "There  is  no  further  information  of  the 
enemy.  The  column  will  halt  for  an  hour.  The  advance  guard  forms 
the  march  outpost.  The  support  will  be  located  here. 

"The  advance  party  will  furnish  the  observation  groups. 

"Corporal  Y,  take  the  rear  rank  of  the  third  squad.  Pick  up  the  con- 
necting files  and  report  to  Sergeant  K  for  duty.  Inform  him  of  the 
situation.  Tell  him  to  post  a  march  outguard  covering  the  main  road  on 
which  we  are  marching,  about  500  yards  from  the  cross  road. 

"Corporal  Z,  take  your  squad  and  post  a  march  outguard  about  500 
yards  from  the  cross  road  on  the  road  leading  to  the  (direction)  left. 
Look  out  for  our  own  patrols  that  are  operating  in  that  direction. 

"Corporal  W,  take  your  squad  and  post  a  march  outguard  about  500 
yards  from  the  cross  roads  on  the  road  leading  to  the  (direction)  right. 
Look  out  for  our  own  patrols  operating  in  that  direction. 

"Send  messages  to  the  Captain,  here.     Move  out." 

"Corporal  Watson,  what  would  Sergeant  A  do  now?" 

"I  think  he  would  wait  here  until  the  Captain  comes  up  and  inform 
him  of  the  action  he  had  taken  to  provide  for  the  security  of  the  column. 
He  would  then  take  Private  L,  who  carried  the  message  back,  and  go 
out  and  visit  each  of  the  march  outguards  to  see  if  they  were  properly 
posted  and  on  the  job." 

"What  would  you  do  with  the  front  of  the  second  squad  when  it  comes 
back?"  asks  Sergeant  Hughes. 

"What  would  you  do  with  it,  Corporal  Jenkins?", 

"I  did  not  consider  them  in  the  problem  and  made  no  provision  for 
them.  If  they  do  return  I  would  keep  them  with  the  support.  They 
have  been  out  on  patrol  already  and  there  is  no  telling  how  much  rough 
marching  they  have  had  to  do." 

The  Director  replies :  "I  think  that  would  be  a  logical  course  to  pursue. 
If  they  were  available  it  might  be  well  to  give  the  march  outguard  on 
the  left  flank  a  little  more  strength  and  they  could  be  properly  sent  out 
there.  Are  there  any  other  questions?" 

After  answering  any  that  may  be  propounded,  he  continues : 

Discussion 

"This  situation  ends  this  tactical  walk.  We  have  considered  only  a  few 
of  the  many  situations  that  may  present  themselves  for  solution  to  an 
advance  party  commander.  I  hope  you  have  carefully  observed  the  method 
of  entering  into  the  minute  details  of  the  action  taken  in  each  instance. 
It  is  these  details  that  we  slur  over  in  making  solutions  to  tactical  prob- 
lems. 

"It  is,  in  my  opinion,  the  attention  to  these  details  by  which  a  non- 
commissioned officer  proves  his  worth  as  a  field  soldier.  These  are  the 
things  that  you  noncommissioned  officers  will  have  to  do  in  campaign. 
These  are  the  things  that  you  should  learn  to  do  in  time  of  peace  in  order 
that  you  may  do  them  instinctively  in  time  of  war  when  quick  decision 
and  action  are  necessary,  and  the  lives  of  your  comrades  depend  upon 
what  you  do  and  how  you  do  it.  Take,  for  instance,  that  last  situation. 
How  many  of  you  would  have  been  able  to  size  up  that  situation  and 


An  Advance  Guard  27 

make  the  proper  dispositions  without  loss  of  time  and  words?  How 
many  of  you  could  have  given  that  order  in  all  its  details  without  omit- 
ting essential  elements?  In  fine,  how  many  of  you  could  have  handled 
the  situation  as  outlined  in  the  solution?  How  many  of  you  could  handle 
a  similar  situation  now,  with  the  confidence  that  you  would  be  doing 
the  right  thing.  I  am  sure  that  all  of  you  could.  Herein  lies  the  value 
of  the  Tactical  Walk.  Concrete  problems  are  presented,  and  by  a  system 
of  questions  and  explanations  a  solution  is  arrived  at  on  the  ground  itself. 
They  give  you  practice  in  issuing  the  actual  orders  that  you  would  issue 
under  the  circumstances,  and  they  bring  home  to  you  the  difficulties  that 
military  commanders  of  all  ranks  encounter  in  the  field.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  they  form  the  very  best  method  of  learning  Minor  Tactics. 
You  cannot  have  too  many  of  them.  They  never  get  tiresome,  for  there 
is  an  infinite  number  of  situations  that  may  be  proposed  for  solution  in 
any  one  of  them. 


Problem  No.  1  Card  No.  6 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Hand  out  cards  bearing  Situation  No.   6. 

2.  Outline   of   elements  of   situation:     (a)   March   outposts,      (fc)    Support.      (c) 

Advance  party,      (d)   Disposition  of  troops. 

3.  Make   memoranda,    collect,    read   and   distribute. 

4.  Disposition  of  troops. 

5.  Make   memoranda,   etc. 

6.  Orders:    (1)    Information   of   enemy   and   own   troops.      (2)    Mission   of  ad- 

vance  party.      (3)   Disposition    of    troops,    (a)  to    front,    (fc)   to    left,    (c) 
to  right.     (4)    Messages. 

7.  Action  ^of  Sergeant  A. 

8.  Resume    of    value    of    tactical    walks    as    a    means    of    instruction    in    Minor 

Tactics. 


TACTICAL  WALK  No.  2 

A  FLANK  GUARD 
The   Problem 

Situation  No.  1: 

A  Blue  detachment,  consisting  of  two  .battalions  of  infantry  and  a 
machine-gun  company,  operating  in  hostile  country,  is  marching  on  the 
(a) — (&)  road,  towards  (c). 

The  support  of  the  advance  guard,  composed  of  companies  (d)  and  (e), 
is  this  moment  at  (/).  The  main  body  is  following  at  a  distance  of  400 
yards. 

A  flank  guard  consisting  of  the  third  platoon  (four  squads  of  Com- 
pany (#),  has  arrived  at  this  point  (*),  marching  on  the  (h)-(i)  road. 

A  force  of  the  enemy  is  reported  in  the  vicinity  of  (/),  and  detach- 
ments of  hostile  cavalry  have  been  operating  in  the  direction  of  (&)• 

You,  Sergeant  A,  commanding  the  flank  guard,  marching  at  the  head 
of  the  main  body  of  your  command,  have  arrived  at  this  point,   (x). 
Required: 

What  is  the  formation  of  your  flank  guard  at  this  moment? 

Explanation  of  Letter  Symbols 

(a)  (b)  The  road  on  which  the  main  body  of  the  blue  detachment  is  marching.  In 
field  orders  roads  are  designated  by  naming  certain  places  located  on  them;  for 
example  the  Atchison  Cross-Frenchman-Kickapoo  road  would  mean  the  main  road 
passing  through  those  places.  When  military  maps  are  made  all  cross  roads  and 
road  forks  should  be  numbered  and  all  hills  and  other  prominent  features  lettered, 
in  order  that  routes  and  localities  may  be  readily  described  in  orders  and  messages. 

(c)  Some  point  a  number  of  miles  distant  in  the  direction  in  which  the  troops  are 
marching. 

(d)  and   (tf)  The  designation  of  the  companies  forming  the  advance  guard.   One  of 
these  companies  should  be  the  one  to-  which  the  noncommissioned  officers  of  the  class 
belong.     It  is  assumed  that  the  advance  guard  is  disposed  as  follows:     One  company 
(less    two   platoons)    as    advance   party    with    a    point   of   a   squad   thrown   out   at    the 
front.     Marching  at  a  distance  of  200  yards  is  the  remainder  of  the  first  platoon,  in 
"platoon   column,"    and   the  second    platoon   following  in   "column   of  squads." 

(/)  A  point  on  the  main  road  abreast  of  that  where  the  flank  guard  is  supposed  to 
have  arrived  (#)  and,  where  the  Tactical  Walk  is  to  begin. 

(0)  The  company  furnishing  the  advance  party  of  the  advance  guard. 

(x)  The  point  where  the  Tactical  Walk  is*  to  begin. 

(&) — (*')  The  road  on  which  it  is  intended  that  the  flank  guard  is  to  march  and 
that  on  which  the  Tactical  Walk  is  to  be  conducted.  This  road  should  lie  approxi- 
mately parallel  to  and  not  more  than  a  mile  distant  from  the  road  on  which  the  main 
body  is  marching.  If  no  such  network  of  roads  exist,  the  Director  may  explain  to 
the  class  the  conditions  and  assume  that  the  nearest  road  is  about  a  mile  distant  and 
work  out  the  problem  on  that  assumption.  This  procedure  strains  the  situation  a  little 
and  robs  it  of  some  of  its  reality.  One  will  have  to  make  the  best  of  it  and  the  men 
will  have  to  draw  upon  their  imagination  to  picture  it. 

(/)   A  locality  or  place  some  miles  to  the  front. 

(fe)  Localities  or  places  some  distance  to  the  flank  of  the  march  of  the  main  body 
on  which  the  flank  guard  is  operating. 

Procedure 

The  Director  conducts  the  members  of  the  class  to  the  point  where 
the  Tactical  Walk  is  to  begin  and  hands  out  the  cards  bearing  Situation 


A  Flank  Guard  29 

No.  1.  He  reads  the  situation  aloud  and  makes  such  explanations  as  may 
be  necessary.  The  members  of  the  class  follow  from  the  cards  in  their 
possession.  One  or  more  members  are  then  called  upon  to  state  the 
tactical  situation  as  they  understand  it.  At  this  point  the  Director  will 
explain  the  tactical  reasons  for  the  employment  of  a  flank  guard. 

Explanation 

"Ordinarily  the  flanks  of  a  column  on  the  march  may  be  protected  by 
small  patrols  sent  out  from  the  advance  guard.  There  are  occasions, 
however,  when  patrols  will  not  suffice,  as  in  the  present  situation,  where 
it  is  known  that  hostile  cavalry  is  operating  on  the  flank  of  our  line  of 
march,  in  which  case  it  is  necessary  to  send  out  a  stronger  detachment 
to  march  parallel  to  the  route  of  the  main  body.'  This  detachment  is 
denominated  a  Flank  Guard  and  is  an  element  in  the  system  of  covering 
troops  provided  for  the  protection  of  a  marching  column. 

"The- flank  guard  marches  abreast  of  the  column  and  assumes  the  gen- 
eral formation  of  an  advance  guard,  having  a  point  thrown  out  to  the 
front,  followed  by  the  remainder  of  the  detachment,  much  as  an  advance 
party.  Patrols  are  sent  out  to  the  exposed  flank  whenever  necessary,  and 
communication  is  maintained  with  the  main  ;body  by  means  of  small 
patrols  or  connecting  files.  In  some  cases  it  may  be  necessary  to  detach 
a  small  rear  guard,  as  in  the  case  where  a  flank  guard  has  been  attacked 
by  a  comparatively  large  force  of  the  enemy  and  has  taken  up  a  position 
to  hold  them  off  until  the  main  body  can  pass  the  danger  point  and  the 
flank  guard  resume  its  march. 

"The  general  duties  of  the  flank  guard  are  much  the  same  as  those 
of  an  advance  guard;  that  is,  to  do  everything  possible  to  provide  for 
the  uninterrupted  progress  of  the  main  body.  All  other  duties  are  inci- 
dental to  this  and  all  have  this  prime  object  in  view." 

Procedure 

The  Director  states :  "The  requirement  calls  for  the  formation  of  your 
flank  guard  at  the  moment  the  head  of  its  main  body  arrives  at  this 
point.  It  is  desired  that  you  make  a  rough  sketch  on  your  pads  showing 
the  disposition  of  the  various  elements  of  your  command." 

Some  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  will  be  allowed  for  this  purpose.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  the  class  is  again  assembled.  The  Director  collects  the 
sheets  and  redistributes  them  in  such  manner  that  no  man  gets  his  own 
sheet  back  again.  He  then  proceeds  to  a  solution  of  the  problem. 

Solution 

"Sergeant  Hughes,  of  what  does  your  leading  element  consist?"  asks 
the  Director. 

"I  would  have  a  squad  in  the  point.  My  reason  for  employing  this 
number  of  men  with  the  point  is:  The  more  road  space  that  the  flank 
guard  can  occupy,  without  dispersion,  the  more  of  the  column  it  covers 
and  protects.  A  squad  as  a  point,  assuming  the  'Boni  Point  formation/ 
will  occupy  about  120  yards  and  at  the  same  time  be  well  in  hand  to 
meet  any  emergency.  This  is  twice  as  much  as  that  occupied  by  four 
men." 


30  Tactical  Walks 

"All  right;  we  will  assume  that  we  have  a  squad  in  the  point.  What 
is  the  next  element  of  your  flank  guard,  Sergeant  Williams?" 

"The  connecting  files,  sir." 

"How  many  of  them?"  asks  the  Director. 

"I  would  have  two  men." 

"Wouldn't  one  man  be  sufficient?" 

"At  this  particular  point  one  man  would.  There  are  places  on  this 
road  where  one  man  would  not  be  able  to  keep  up  the  communication, 
and  to  make  sure  of  that  being  done  all  the  time  I  would  detail  two 
men.  The  duty  is  no  more  arduous  than  marching  with  the  point  or  the 
main  body,  and  I  do  not  consider  tha£  it  is  any  hardship." 

"Where  would  you  get  them  from?" 

"From  the  third  squad,  sir;  then  the  men  for  the  patrol — 

"Why   the  third  squad?"   interrupts   the   Director. 

"Well,  sir,  we  would  be  marching  in  platoon  column  and  the  third 
squad  would  be  in  the  lead,  with  the  second  and  fourth  squads  each,  form- 
ing a  column  of  files  in  rear  of  a  half  of  the  third." 

"We  will  take  that  up  later,"  explains  the  Director.  "What  would  be 
the  distance  between  the  rear  man  of  the  point  and  the  leading  man  of 
the  main  body,  Corporal  Jones?" 

"Normally,  about  200  yards,  sir." 

"You  would  want  to  keep  informed  of  the  movements  of  the  main 
column,  Corporal  Hardy.  How  would  you  accomplish  this?" 

"I  would  have  a  couple  of  men  march  so  that  they,  could  see  the  main 
column  and  the  flank  guard,"  replies  the  corporal. 

"Where  would  you  get  these  men?" 

"I  would  take  two  men  of  the  third  squad  for  the  purpose." 

"That  seems  to  be  a  reasonable  solution.  Now  Sergeant  Williams  men- 
tioned a  patrol  a  moment  ago.  Where  would  this  patrol  march?"* 

"Well,  sir,  I  do  not  see  the  necessity  for  a  patrol  on  the  exposed  flank 
at  the  present.  We  can  see  all  the  country  to  the  limit  of  effective  rifle 
range  from  the  road,  and  I  think  a  patrol  there  would  be  a  waste  of 
men.  If,  later  on,  the  topography  should  demand  it,  I  would  send  out 
such  patrols  as  may  be  necessary.  At  what  distance  they  would  march 
from  the  column  cannot  be  stated.  It  would  depend  entirely  upon  the 
country.  They  would  have  to  go  out  far  enough  to  see  something  more 
than  can  be  seen  from  the  road,  if  they  are  to  be  of  any  use." 

"You  are  exactly  right,"  says  the  Director.  "I  think  all  the  members 
of  the  class  will  agree  with  you.  There  is  no  necessity  for  wearing  men 
out  on  flank  patrol  duty,  beating  their  way  over  rough  country  and  climb- 
ing fences,  when  they  accomplish  no  useful  purpose.  Never  order  a  dis- 
position unless  there  is  a  sound  tactical  reason  for  it.  Then  when  the 
time  comes  your  men  are  ready  to  put  forth  super-human  efforts,  if  need 
be,  to  help  you  accomplish  your  mission.  On  the  solution  of  these  small 
problems  in  actual  service  rests  your  success  or  failure  as  a  tactical  leader 
of  men.  You  must  remember  that  it  is  the  combination  of  these  small 
tactical  situations  that  go  to  make  up  the  big  maneuvers." 


*  For  the  purpose  of  discussion,  we  will  assume  that  it  is  open  country  to  the  ex- 
posed flank  at  this  particular  point.  If  it  is  not,  the  tactical  point  involved  here 
may  be  brought  out  later. 


A  Flank  Guard  31 

"What  is  the  formation  of  your  main  body,  Sergeant  Eaton?" 

"We  have  two  and  a  half  squads  left.  They  would  be  marching  in 
platoon  column,  a  column  of  files  on  each  side  of  the  road.  This  would 
place  the  corporal  of  the  third  squad  and  three  of  his  men  in  the  lead, 
two  at  the  head  of  each  column.  The  second  squad  would  form  the 
column  of  files  on  the  right-hand  side  of  the  road  and  the  fourth  squad 
that  on  the  left-hand  side." 

"By  what  process  did  you  get  into  this  formation,  Sergeant  Powell?" 
asks  the  Director. 

"Before  we  started  out  we  were  formed  in  column  of  squads  on  the 
road.  The  head  of  the  column  was  in  the  direction  of  the  line  of  march. 
Sergeant  A  gave  the  command :  'First  squad,  at  trail,  forward,  MARCH  !' 
When  it  had  advanced  a  few  paces,  'Squad,  HALT!  Corporal  Z,  take 
charge  and  move  out  as  a  point.'  Then  to  the  remainder  of  the  platoon : 
'As  skirmishers,  guide  center,  MARCH  !'  The  connecting  files  were  sent 
from  the  center  of  the  skirmish  line.  When  the  point  had  gained  its 
distance  to  the  front,  Sergeant  A  gave  the  command :  'Platoon  column, 
MARCH  !'  and  directed  'Column  of  files  on  each  side  of  the  road/  " 

Discussion 

The  Director:  "This  system  of  formation  for  all  small  covering  de- 
tachments is  what  I  want  to  indoctrinate  into  the  noncommissioned  officers 
of  this  company.  You  will  employ  it  on  all  occasions  where  it  is  applicable. 
There  are  several  advantages  in  marching  in  this  formation,  among  which 
may  be  mentioned:  The  column  is  not  so  vulnerable  as  a  column  of 
squads;  when  it  is  necessary  to  deploy,  the  platoon  simply  spreads  out 
to  the  right  and  left  in  a  skirmish  line  all  ready  for  business ;  it  eliminates 
the  slight  confusion  always  incident  to  a  deployment  from  a  column  of 
squads;  it  prevents  on  deployment  that  formation  that  you  have  all  seen 
at  maneuvers,  of  a  column  of  men  crouching  in  the  ditches  alongside  of 
the  road  and  firing  into  each  other's  backs;  if  the  fire  is  received  from  a 
flank  all  the  column  has  to  do  it  to  face  in  that  direction  when  it  is 
deployed  and  ready  to  open  fire.  I  want  you  to  drill  your  platoons  in 
the  formation  from  time  to  time  so  that  all  the  men  will  understand  it 
and  have  an  opportunity  to  observe  its  advantages.  Are  there  any  ques- 
tions regarding  this  situation  and  its  requirement?  If  any  man  does  not 
understand  the  formation  that  we  have  adopted  for  the  flank  guard  let 
him  say  so  now,  as  other  situations  are  to  be  solved  on  the  assumption 
that  we  are  in  the  formation  adopted  by  this  solution." 


Problem  No.  2  Card  No.  1 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Conduct   the    class  to   the   point   where   it   is  intended   to   start   the   Tactical 
.    Walk    (*). 

2.  Hand  out  the  cards  bearing   Situation   No.    1    and   read   same   aloud. 

3.  Explain   tactics    of   flank    guard:     (a)    Protection    of    flank    of    column.     (&) 

Formation.      (c)   Duties. 

4.  Explain  requirement.      Have   sketch  memorandum    made.     Collect   same   and 

distribute. 

5.  Solution:   Question  about  formation:    (a)    Point.     ((&)    Connecting  files,     (c) 

Distances,      (d)    Flank  patrol,      (e)    Formation  of  main  body. 

6.  Discussion:     Formation   of    all    small    covering   detachments:      (a)    Vulnera- 

bility.    (&)   Facility  of  deployment,     (c)    Fire  from  a  flank. 


32  Tactical  Walks 

Procedure 

The  class  is  now  conducted  to  the  front  to  a  point  where  the  fork 
of  a  road  leading  from  the  exposed  flank  enters  the  road  on  which  the 
flank  guard  is  marching. 

The  cards  bearing  Situation  No.  2  are  handed  out  and  the  Director 
announces  that  the  solution  is  to  be  made  orally,  no  memoranda  being 
required. 

The  Problem 

Situation  No.  2: 

You,   Sergeant   A,  at  the  head  of  the  main   body  of  the  flank  guard 
are  approaching  this  road  fork.    The  flank  guard  is  now  marching  abreast 
of  the  support  of  the  advance  guard  of  the  main  body.     Contact  with 
the  enemy  has  not  yet  been  gained. 
Required: 

What  action  do  you  take? 

Solution 

"Sergeant  Eaton,  what  would  you  do  under  the  circumstances?"  asks 
the  Director. 

"I  would  want  to  cover  that  road  leading  from  the  .(direction,  employ- 
ing the  points  of  the  compass  to  designate)." 

"How  would  you  do  it?" 

"By  sending  a  patrol  out  on  it  for  a  short  distance." 

"What  would  be  the  strength  of  the  patrol?" 

"I  should  say  a  corporal  and  three  men  would  be  sufficient." 

"What  men  would  you  send,  Sergeant  Williams?" 

"I  would  send  the  corporal  and  the  three  remaining  men  of  the  third 
squad.  They  are  at  the  head  of  the  main  body.  I  could  give  the  cor- 
poral his  instructions  as  we  approach  the  road  fork.  This  will  eliminate 
the  necessity  for  halting  the  column  while  I  am  giving  the  orders." 

"All  right.  Now,  Corporal  Jenkinson.  You  have  decided  to  send  a 
patrol  on  the  road.  Just  how  would  you  give  the  orders?  Give  them 
to  me  just  as  you  would  give  them  to  Corporal  Y,"  explains  the  Director. 

"I  would  say:  'Corporal  Y,  march  beside  me.  We  have  not  heard 
or  seen  anything  of  the  enemy.  Our  flank  guard  is  now  marching  abreast 
of  the  support  of  the  advance  guard  of  the  main  body.  You  will  take 
the  three  remaining  men  of  your  squad  and  patrol  down  the  road  that 
we  are  approaching  to  the  (direction),  to  cover  the  passage  of  the  main 
body.  Remain  out  for  15  minutes  and  then  return.  Catch  up  with  the 
flank  guard  when  you  can.  I  will  march  with  the  main  body  of  the  flank 
guard/  " 

"How  did  you  arrive  at  the  time  that  Corporal  Y  is  to  remain  out?" 

"I  roughly  calculated  the  length  of  our  column  from  the  head  of  the 
support  to  the  tail  of  the  train.  It  is  about  1,300  yards.  The  troops  will 
march  at  the  rate  of  about  100  yards  per  minute,  so  I  allowed  13  minutes 
and  then  added  two  more  as  a  factor  of  safety.  I  would  want  the  patrol 
to  block  the  road  until  all  the  main  column  has  passed  the  danger  point 
on  their  march/ 


A  Flank  Guard  33 

"Tell  me  just  how  you  calculated  the  length  of  the  column?" 
"The  support  of  the  advance  guard  is  one  and  one-third  companies, 
covering  a  road  space  of  about  900  yards.  The  distance  from  the  advance 
guard  to  the  main  body  is  400  yards.  The  six  companies  of  infantry  in 
the  main  body  (assuming  them  150  men  strong)  would  take  up  450  yards 
and  the  machine-gun  company  another  100  yards.  Then  the  field  wagons 
(or  auto  trucks)  would  consume  180  yards.  The  total  of  all  this  would 
be  1,220  yards  and  allowing  a  little  for  lengthening  out  would  make  it 
about  1,300  yards." 

"Why  did  you  not  tell  Corporal  Y  how  far  to  go  on  the  road?" 
"Well,  sir,  I  would  not  want  to  hamper  him  with  such  instructions.    He 
knows  the  mission  on  which  he  is  being  sent.     He  knows  the  object  of 
it.     I  would  let  him  decide  for  himself  how  far  he  is  to  go  and  what  he 
is  to  do." 

Discussion 

The  Director :  "That  is  another  point  that  I  want  to  indoctrinate  into 
the  noncommissioned  officers  of  this  company.  Do  not  hamper  your  sub- 
ordinates with  unnecessary  instructions.  Give  them  their  orders  and  assign 
them  a  mission.  Then  let  them  alone  to  work  out  their  own  salvation. 
The  moment  you  start  to  give  detailed  instructions,  you  get  beyond  your 
depth.  You  cannot  foresee  every  contingency.  There  has  been  only  one 
military  commander  that  was  able  to  do  all  of  this.  He  was  the  great 
Napoleon.  We  cannot  hope  to  be  the  military  genius  that  he  was." 


Problem  No.  2  Card  No.  2 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Conduct  class  to  road  fork. 

2.  Hand  out   cards   bearing    Situation    No.    2.      Announce   oral    solution. 

3.  Solution:    Patrol    to   be  sent   out.     Strength.     Composition. 

4.  Orders  for  patrol. 

5.  Time   to    remain   out.      How   determined. 

6.  Calculating  length   of   main   body. 

7.  Discussion:     Interference   with   subordinates. 


Procedure 

The  class  is  conducted  to  a  point,  preferably  a  crossroad  that  leads 
through  to  the  main  road  where  the  column  is  marching,  where  the  cards 
bearing  the  following  situation  are  handed  out.  The  Director  announces 
that  the  solution  will  be  made  orally. 

The  Problem 

Situation  No.  3: 

Just  before  reaching  this  cross  roads  Sergeant  A  called  you,  Corporal 
X,  fourth  squad,  to  march  beside  him. 

He  gave  you  the  following  orders: 

"WTe  have  not  heard  or  seen  anything  of  the  enemy.  Our  flank  guard 
is  still  marching  abreast  of  the  support  of  the  advance  guard.  Take  your 
squad  and  patrol  this  cross-road  we  are  approaching  to  the  (direction). 


34  Tactical  Walks 

Remain  out  fifteen  minutes.    Rejoin  the  flank  guard  when  you  can.     I  will 
march  with  the  second  squad." 

The  head  of  your  squad,  marching  in  column  of  files,  has  arrived  at 
this  point.     You  observe  that  the  road  on  which  you  are  going  to  march 
(if  such  is  the  case)  is  about  60  feet  wide  and  is  bounded  on  each  side 
by  a  five-wire  fence. 
Required : 

What  action  do  you  take? 

Solution 

"What  would  you  do,  Sergeant  Hughes?"  asks  the  Director. 

"I  would  first  take  a  look  at  my  watch  to  get  the  time.  As  the  head 
of  the  squad  reaches  this  point  I  would  command :  'Fourth  squad,  FOLLOW 
ME  !'  After  clearing  the  main  road  I  would  give  the  command :  'Squad, 
HALT  !'  and  give  the  following  instructions : 

"  'We  have  seen  or  heard  nothing  of  the  enemy.  Our  flank  guard  con- 
tinues its  march  abreast  of  the  advance  guard.  This  squad  will  cover 
this  road  until  the  main  body  has  passed  the  cross-road  to  the  (direction). 
R,  move  out  on  the  right-hand  side  of  the  road.  S,  follow  on  the  left 
at  a  distance  of  20  yards.  The  rest  of  the  squad  follow  me.  T,  you  are 
second  in  command.' 

"I  would  march  in  this  formation  to  a  point  where  we  could  overlook 
the  country  and  then  form  a  sort  of  march  outpost  at  a  point  where  we 
could  get  some  cover  if  we  were  attacked." 

"What  do  you  think  of  that  solution,  Sergeant  Williams?" 

"I  think  it  is  all  right,  sir,  excepting  the  halting  of  the  squad.  I  do 
not  know  whether  Corporal  X  would  be  justified  in  halting  the  squad  to 
give  the  instructions." 

"What  do  you  think  about  that,  Sergeant  MacCormack?" 

"Well,  sir,  under  the  circumstances  I  think  it  would  be  proper.  It  is 
highly  important  for  all  the  members  of  the  squad  to  know  what  they 
are  going  out  for.  Time  is  not  an  especially  important  factor  just  now 
and,  besides,  the  squad  has  to  be  gotten  into  patrol  formation.  I  think 
Corporal  X  would  be  justified  in  halting  the  squad." 

"What  objection  to  halting  the  squad  did  you  have  in  mind,  Sergeant 
Williams?" 

"I  had  no  special  objection.  I  simply  did  not  know  and  wanted  to 
bring  the  matter  up  for  discussion  and  decision.  As  a  general  rule  on 
patrol  work  we  give  our  instructions  as  we  go  along.  It  saves  time." 

"As  far  as  we  know,  time  is  not  a  specially  important  element  and, 
considering  the  factors  mentioned  by  Sergeant  MacCormack,  I  think  the 
corporal  would  be  justified  in  halting  his  squad  as  Sergeant  Hughes  did." 
Continuing:  "Sergeant  Waring,  what  class  of  patrol  do  you  consider 
this?" 

"To  my  mind  it  is  a  combat  patrol.  It  is  out  to  fight,  to  keep  the  enemy 
from  molesting  or  in  any  way  interfering  with  the  march  of  our  main 
body?" 

"I  think  you  are  right.     Are  there  any  further  questions?" 


A  Flank  Guard  35 


Problem  No.  2  Card  No.  3 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.   Conduct   class  t 

3 

4.  Question   of,  hal 

5.  Class  of  patrol. 


Conduct   class  to   cross   road  where  the   situation   is  to   be  given  out. 
Hand    out   cards   bearing   Situation  No.    3. 

Solution:     Method    of   getting   squad   out   of   column.     Orders. 
Question   of  halting  the   patrol. 


Procedure 

The  class  is  conducted  down  the  cross-road  to  a  point  that  is  suitable 
for  the  solution  of  the  next  situation.  This  point  will  have  to  be  selected 
by  the  Director  with  a  view  to  bringing  out  the  tactical  points  indicated 
in  the  solution. 

The  cards  bearing  the  following  situation  are  handed  out  and  the  Di- 
rector indicates  that  the  solution  will  be  made  orally. 

It  is  explained  that  each  man  of  the  class  is  to  now  consider  himself 
as  being  Corporal  X,  commanding  the  fourth  squad. 

The  Problem 
Situation  No.  4: 

You,   Corporal   X,   have  arrived  at   this  point.     Your  squad  is  in   the 
formation   originally  adopted.     Nothing  has   been   seen   or  heard  of  the 
enemy. 
Required : 

What  action  do  you  take? 

Solution 

"Sergeant  Hamlin,  how  do  you  size  up  the  situation?" 
"Well,  sir,  the  mission  of  the  patrol  is  to  cover  the  passage  of  our 
troops  past  the  junction  of  this  road  we  are  on  and  the  road  they  are 
marching  on.  It  will  be  some  ten  minutes  until  the  tail  of  the  train  will 
have  passed.  This  point  is  more  than  a  mile  from  the  cross-roads.  It 
would  be  unnecessary  to  go  any  further  out.  Here  we  have  a  good  field 
of  fire  to  the  front.  The  flanks  are  fairly  open,  so  that  it  would  be 
difficult  for  an  enemy  to  surprise  us.  Only  cavalry  has  been  reported 
operating  on  this  flank.  On  account  of  the  wire  fences  and  obstacles  their 
mounted  operations  will  be  confined  to  the  roads.  We  would  stop  any 
small  body  coming  down  the  road  toward  us  and  would  be  able  to  admin- 
ister considerable  punishment  to  a  force  as  large  as  a  troop  provided  we 
caught  them  mounted  on  the  road.  I  would  take  up  a  position  here.  I 
would  make  my  dispositions  so  that  I  could  fire  on  any  troops  that  appear 
in  my  front." 

Explanation 

The  Director  explains :  "Sergeant  Hamlin's  statements  constitute  what 
is  known  in  military  parlance  as  an  'Estimate  of  the  Situation.'  He  con- 
sidered the  mission  of  the  squad.  He  took  into  consideration  the  position 
of  his  own  troops  with  reference  to  those  of  the  enemy.  He  has  taken 


36  Tactical  Walks 

the  terrain  into  account,  and  he  has  arrived  at  a  decision  as  to  what  he 
is  going  to  do.  It  is  a  logical  process  of  thought  involving  the  elements 
just  mentioned,  terminating  in  a  tactical  decision.  This  is  what  you  have 
to  do  in  the  solution  of  all  tactical  problems.  The  patrol  leader  does 
it  in  every  move  of  his  patrol.  The  platoon  as  a  flank  guard  requires  the 
same  process  on  the  part  of  the  platoon  leader.  The  company  commander, 
as  commander  of  the  advance  party  of  an  advance  guard,  must  consider 
these  same  elements  in  the  conduct  of  his  covering  detachment.  It  is  the 
same  with  the  battalion  commander,  the  regimental  commander,  and  on 
up  to  the  commander  of  a  division.  When  you  are  presented  with  a 
tactical  situation  for  solution,  figure  out  all  the  elements  of  it :  your  mis- 
sion, your  situation  with  respect  to  the  enemy,  the  influence  of  the  ter- 
rain, and  then  arrive  at  a  clean  cut  decision  as  to  what  you  are  going 
to  do. 

Solution  (Continued) 

"Now,  Sergeant  Hamilton,  having  decided  to  take  up  a  position  here, 
the  next  question  is:  'How  are  you  going  to  do  it?'"* 

The  Director  continues :     "Where  would  you  place  your  men  ?" 

"The  road  is  about  60  feet  wide  between  fences.  There  is  sufficient 
space  on  each  side  of  the  main  road  to  accommodate  half  a  squad.  I 
think  I  would  make  that  disposition.  I  would  put  them  here  (indicating) 
so  they  would  have  a  field  of  fire  straight  down  the  road,"  says  Sergeant 
Hamilton. 

"What  do  you  think  of  that  solution,  Sergeant  Miller?" 

"That  is  not  what  I  would  do,  sir." 

"Why?"  queries  the  Director. 

"Well,  sir,  they  would  be  too  much  exposed.  Suppose  the  enemy  ap- 
peared on  the  road  with  as  much  as  a  troop.  We  fire  into  him.  Perhaps 
the  hostile  captain's  orders  are  to  check  the  advance  of  our  main  body. 
He  decides  to  take  his  losses  and  charges  down  the  road.  Our  small 
detachment  would  be  in  a  precarious  situation,  only  eight  men  against 
an  entire  troop.  The  men  know  they  have  no  means  of  getting  out  of 
the  way.  They  would  be  thinking  more  of  their  own  safety  than  of  hitting 
the  enemy.  They  would  shoot  wild,  and  the  chances  are  that  the  squad 
would  be  ridden  down  and  destroyed.  On  the  other  hand,  if  we  put  the 
men  on  the  other  side  of  the  wire  fences,  they  will  know  that  a  mounted 
charge  cannot  hurt  them.  They  will  have  more  confidence  in  their  ability 
to  stop  it  and  the  shooting  will  be  much  more  effective." 

"Then  you  would  place  your  men  on  the  other  side  of  the  fence?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"On  which  side  of  the  road  would  you  place  them?" 

"On  both  sides.  Half  a  squad  on  each  side,  sir.  This  would  give  me 
a  cross-fire  on  the  road,"  answers  Sergeant  Miller. 

"Have  you  any  objection  to  that  disposition,  Corporal  Hardy?"  asks 
the  Director. 


*  The  matter  that  follows  may  o-  may  not  apply  in  the  actual  case.  It  is  inserted 
to  show  the  procedure  to  be  followed  by  the  Director  in  bringing  out  the  points.  The 
questions  asked  would  depend  entirely  on  the  lay  of  the  ground  and  the  position 
taken  up  would  have  to  conform  thereto. 


A  Flank  Guard  37 

"Yes,  sir.  It  divides  the  force  and  makes  it  difficult  for  Corporal  X 
to  control  and  direct  the  fire." 

"Any  other  objection,   Corporal  Jones?" 

"Yes,  sir.  I  would  not  only  want  all  the  men  on  one  side  of  the  road, 
but  I  would  want  them  on  this  side  (indicating  the  side  in  the  direction 
of  which  the  troops  are  marching).  If  it  comes  to  the  point  where  we 
have  to  fall  back,  we  can  fall  back  directly  on  our  own  troops  and  not 
have  to  expose  ourselves  in  crossing  the  road  and  climbing  the  fences. 
The  field  of  fire  is  about  as  good  on  this  side." 

"Your  point  with  respect  to  climbing  the  fences  is  not  well  taken.  They 
could  be  cut  readily.  If  they  were  stone  fences  to  climb  they  would  be 
a  factor  that  would  have  to  be  considered.  Do  you  see  the  points  brought 
out  here,  Sergeant  Hamilton?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Do  you,  Sergeant  Miller?" 

"Yes,  sir.     I  can  see  the  advantage  of  it  now." 

"What  provision  would  you  make  for  protection  against  surprise  from 
your  flanks,  Sergeant  Jenkinson?" 

"I  would  detail  certain  men  to  keep  watch  to  the  flanks  and  I  would 
also  detail  a  man  whose  special  duty  would  be  to  watch  to  the  front." 

"Sergeant  Jameson,  having  all  these  elements  in  mind,  just  what  would 
you  do  now?  That  is,  I  want  to  know  just  what  action  you  would  take 
to  put  the  decision  'to  take  up  a  position'  into  operation." 

"I  would  take  the  squad  over  the  fence  and  give  the  following  orders : 
'There  is  no  further  information  of  the  enemy  or  our  own  troops.  We 
will  take  up  a  position  here  to  cover  the  passage  of  our  main  column/ 
I  would  then  place  each  man  so  that  he  would  have  a  good  field  of  fire : 
'R,  you  are  charged  with  keeping  a  lookout  towards  the  right  flank;  S, 
you  keep  a  lookout  down  the  road ;  V,  you  will  do  the  same  on  the  left 
flank/  " 

"Would  you  make  any  personal  reconnaissance  to  the  flanks?" 

"No,  sir.  I  would  stay  right  here.  If  anything  happens  I  would  want 
to  be  here  so  I  could  control  the  action  of  the  men.  If  I  considered  a 
flank  reconnaissance  necessary  I  would  send  one  of  the  men  to  make  it. 
My  place  is  right  here." 

"You  are  right,"  states  the  Director.  "Are  there  any  questions?  If 
not,  we  will  proceed  to  the  next  situation." 


Problem  No.  2  Card  No.  4 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Conduct  class  down   the    road   to  a   suitable   point. 

2.  Hand  out  cards  bearing  Situation  No.  4.     Each  man  now  Corporal  X.     Oral 

solution. 

3.  Bring  out    elements   of   the   estimate    of   the   situation,   mission,  enemy,   own 

troops,    terrain,    decision. 

4.  Location  of  patrol:    In  road,  at  side  of  road,  advantages,   disadvantages. 

5.  Observation    to   front   and   flanks.      Question  of   personal    reconnaissance. 


Tactical  Walks 

Procedure 

It  is  assumed  that  the  men  have  gotten  into  position  as  provided  for 
in  the  solution  to  Situation  No.  4,  on  the  right-hand  side  of  the  road. 
The  Director  will  point  out  the  exact  position  of  each  man  so  that  all 
members  of  the  class  will  solve  the  next  situation  on  the  same  basis.  It 
is  also  assumed  that  seven  minutes  have  elapsed  since  the  patrol  started 
from  the  main  road  on  which  the  flank  guard  is  marching. 

The  cards  bearing  the  following  situation  are  handed  out.  The  Director 
announces  that  the  solution  will  be  made  orally. 

The  Problem 
Situation  No.  5: 

The  squad  has  occupied  a  position  at  this  point.  At  this  moment,  you, 
Corporal  X,  observe  a  party  of  enemy  cavalry  approaching  at  a  trot. 
Two  troopers  are  in  the  lead;  at  a  distance  of  about  75  yards  two  more 
follow,  with  a  distance  of  50  yards  between  them;  about  150  yards  in 
rear  there  are  four  more  troopers  with  short  distances  between  them.  They 
apparently  have  not  observed  your  squad. 
Required: 

What  action  do  you  take? 

Explanation 

The  Director  will  point  out  to  the  members  of  the  class  the  exact  posi- 
tion of  the  cavalrymen  at  the  moment. 

Solution 

"Corporal  Hardy,  what  class  of  cavalry  detachment  do  you  estimate 
this  to  be?" 

"I  would  think  it  is  a  contact  patrol  sent  out  from  a  larger  body  to 
reconnoiter.  If  it  were  the  point  of  an  advance  guard,  we  would  be  seeing 
other  troops  farther  to  the  rear." 

"Corporal  Jones,  what  would  you  do  under  the  circumstances?"  asks 
the  Director. 

"I  would  fire  on  the  cavalrymen." 

"When  would  you  open  fire?" 

"There  are  only  eight  of  them.  We  have  an  ambuscade  and  ought  to 
be  able  to  bring  down  practically  all  of  them.  There  would  be  no  danger 
in  letting  them  come  close  up." 

"How  close  would  you  let  them  come?" 

"Well,  sir,  I  would  let  the  leading  men  come  within  50  yards,  if  they 
would  do  so,  before  opening  fire.  The  man  farthest  away  would  then 
be  about  450  yards  distant.  We  could  use  battle  sight.  I  would  assign 
a  target  to  each  man  beginning  at  the  right  of  the  squad,  the  right  man 
taking  the  rear  trooper  and  so  on  through  the  squad  to  the  left.  This 
would  leave  one  trooper  unprovided  for.  I  would  make  it  my  particular 
business  to  see  that  no  man  passed  this  point." 

"Sergeant  Boyle,  just  what  orders  would  you  give?  I  want  you  to 
state  the  exact  words  that  you  would  employ  in  meeting  the  situation," 
says  the  Director. 


A  Flank  Guard  39 

"As  soon  as  I  see  the  cavalry  patrol,  I  would  order:  'Target.  Enemy 
cavalry  on  road.  Battle  sight.  R,  S,  T  and  V,  fire  on  four  men  in  rear. 
W  and  Y,  next  two.  Z,  take  one  of  the  leading  men.  When  you  get 
your  man,  fire  on  the  man  farthest  away.  Wait  for  my  command  to 
open  fire.'  When  the  enemy  approached  to  the  point  designated,  I  give 
the  command,  'Fire  at  will!' " 

"Such  action  would  probably  produce  results,"  says  the  Director.  "Now, 
Sergeant  Hughes,  the  flank  guard  commander  will  hear  this  firing  and 
will  want  to  know  what  it  is  all  about.  How  would  you  meet  this  require- 
ment ?" 

"This  action  would  be  over  in  about  a  minute,  and  the  result  would 
be  known.  I  would  then  direct  Private  W,  the  expert  semaphore  man 
of  the  squad :  'Go  back  to  the  cross-road  and  flash  to  Sergeant  A,  "Eight 
cavalrymen.  Disabled  five.  Three  got  away."  Bring  me  any  message 
that  Sergeant  A  may  semaphore/  " 

"Sergeant  Hamilton,  there  are  five  dead  or  wounded  men  lying  in  the 
road.  Would  you  do  anything  for  them  at  -this  time?" 

"No,  sir.  I  would  not  let  any  of  my  men  show  themselves.  The  men 
of  the  enemy  who  escaped  probably  did  not  have  a  very  clear  idea  of 
where  the  fire  came  from,  and  I  would  not  want  to  surrender  any  of 
the  advantages  that  I  now  possess  with  respect  to  position  and  conceal- 
ment. Our  own  troops  are  marching  away  from  me  and  my  position  is 
becoming  momentarily  less  secure.  As  soon  as  the  main  body  of  the 
enemy  learns  of  the  disaster  to  their  patrol  they  will  send  a  strong  detach- 
ment out  to  secure  their  wounded  and  punish  us.  When  my  time  is  up 
I  would  have  to  get  back  to  the  road  and  join  the  flank  guard  as  soon 
as  possible.  I  would  have  no  time  to  care  for  the  enemy  wounded.  They 
are  in  their  own  country  and  will  be  cared  for.  I  could  do  nothing  for 
them,"  states  Sergeant  Hamilton. 

Procedure 

The  Director  states  the  following  situation,  orally : 

"At  this  moment  you  hear  heavy  firing  which  you  estimate  comes  from 
the  direction  of  the  advance  guard  of  the  main  body.  There  is  some 
volley  firing.  The  fifteen  minutes  that  you  were  ordered  to  remain  out 
are  about  up." 

Solution 

"Sergeant  Hawkins,  how  do'  you  size  up  the  situation  now?" 
"Our  original  mission  was  to  cover  the  road  for  fifteen  minutes,"  says 
Sergeant  Hawkins;  "that  time  has  expired.  We  have  completed  the  mis- 
sion. New  conditions  have  arisen  that  were  not  considered  when  we  were 
sent  out  and  a  new  situation  confronts  Corporal  X.  It  would  seem  to 
me  that  his  mission  would  now  be  'to  continue  covering  this  road.' " 

Sergeant  Hawkins,  continues :  "The  volley  firing  indicates  cavalry  ac- 
tion, as  the  infantry  rarely  ever  employs  that  class  of  fire.  It  is  probable 
that  our  advance  guard  has  encountered  a  relatively  strong  force  of  cav- 
alry on  the  main  road.  If  this  cavalry  is  covering  an  infantry  force  it 
will  soon  transfer  its  activities  to  the  flanks  and  the  flank  guard  will 
play  an  important  part  in  the  action.  If  the  cavalry  force  is  alone  it  will 


40  Tactical  Walks 

fight  only  a  delaying  action  and  a  few  minutes  will  clear  up  the  situation. 
It  is  known  that  there  is  enemy  cavalry  on  this  road.  Although  they 
have  been  roughly  handled,  they  may  at  any  moment  renew  their  activities 
toward  cutting  in  on  the  main  body. 

"It  will  ,be  the  endeavor  of  our  advance  guard  to  brush  aside  any 
opposition.  But  the  volume  of  fire  indicates  that  it  will  be  somewhat 
delayed  by  deployments,  etc.,  in  which  case  the  main  body  must  halt  and 
may  even  be  compelled  to  deploy  a  portion  to  assist  the  advance  guard. 
The  flank  guard  is  undoubtedly  halted,  although  no  information  to  that 
effect  has  been  received. 

"The  network  of  roads  in  this  vicinity  makes  it  doubly  important  that 
Corporal  X's  patrol  remain  where  it  is  for  the  present.  The  road  which 
he  is  on  leads  direct  to  the  flank  of  the  main  body.  If  it  is  left  open, 
the  enemy's  patrols  may  work  in  and  annoy  the  troops  of  the  main  body 
or  shoot  up  the  train. 

"Having  all  these  factors  in  mind,  I  think  Corporal  X  would  decide 
to  remain  where  he  is  and  strengthen  his  position." 

Discussion 

"You  seem  to  have  covered  the  situation  very  well,"  says  the  Director. 
"I  want  to  again  call  the  attention  of  the  members  of  the  class  to  this 
'estimate  of  the  situation'  proposition  and  to  the  technique  with  which  you 
go  about  it.  Like  field  orders,  there  is  a  definite  process  that  insures  all 
the  elements  being  considered.  These  are,  in  their  order: 

"1.  The  mission.  As  in  this  case  the  original  mission  has  been  accom- 
plished, new  conditions  arise  from  which  Corporal  X  must  determine  what 
his  further  mission  is. 

"2.  Considerations  affecting  the  enemy,  in  which  are  considered  his 
strength,  composition,  position  and  probable  intentions. 

"3.  Considerations  affecting  our  own  forces,  in  which  are  considered 
relative  strength,  position,  composition,  and  the  methods  that  may  be 
employed  to  circumvent  the  enemy. 

"4.     The  influence  of  the  terrain. 

"5.  Based  on  the  above,  a  clear-cut  decision  as  to  what  you  are  going 
to  do  is  arrived  at. 

"Now  that  is  what  Sergeant  Hawkins  has  done  in  this  case.  By  an 
examination  of  his  statements  you  will  see  that  he  has  covered  all  of  these 
points." 

Solution  (Continued) 

"The  decision  is  to  remain  here  and  strengthen  the  position.  Just  how 
would  you  go  about  that,  Sergeant  James?"  asks  the  Director. 

"The  men  would  be  looking  to  Corporal  X  for  orders  and  instructions. 
They  know  the  time  is  up  and  it  is  time  for  them  to  get  back  to  the 
road.  I  would  say:  'It  is  apparent  that  the  main  body  has  encountered 
a  force  of  the  enemy.  It  is  probable  that  our  flank  guard  has  halted.  We 
will  remain  here  for  the  present.  R  and  S,  continue  to  watch  for  the 
enemy.  Take  off  your  packs.  Put  them  on  the  ground  just  behind  you. 
Secure  your  intrenching  tools.  Dig  a  trench  along  here.' " 

The  Director  states :  "I  think  that  would  cover  the  situation  very  well. 
Are  there  any  questions?" 


A  Flank  Guard  41 

Procedure 

The  Director  would  bring  out  the  points  involved  in  the  preparation 
of  the  position  for  defense.  This  would  depend  entirely  upon  the  terrain. 
By  questioning  the  members  of  the  class  and  a  discussion  of  each  phase 
of  the  problem  the  type  and  location  of  all  elements  would  be  arrived  at. 

After  this  is  completed  the  Director  would  state  the  following  situation 
orally : 

"Private  W  returns  to  the  squad.  He  reports  that  he  flashed  Corporal 
X's  message  to  the  flank  guard  commander  and  was  given  the  following 
message  to  convey  to  Corporal  X :  'Advance  guard  encounters  strong 
opposition  on  main  road.  Cavalry.  Main  body  halted.  Flank  guard  halts 
abreast  of  head  of  main  body.  Remain  where  you  are  and  cover  cross 
road.  Intercept  Corporal  Y's  patrol  and  have  him  under  your  orders. 
I  remain  with  main  body  of  flank  guard.'  " 

Solution 

"Corporal  Jones,  what  would  you  do  now?"  asks  the  Director. 

"I  would  order  Private  W:  'Go  back  to  the  cross  road.  Intercept 
Corporal  Y's  patrol.  Tell  Corporal  Y  to  report  to  me  for  instructions.' 
Semaphore  to  Sergeant  A :  'Message  received.  I  remain  here.  Have 
intercepted  Y's  patrol/" 

"What  would  you  do  with  Corporal  Y's  patrol?" 

"I  do  not  understand  that  it  would  be  necessary  for  Corporal  Y  to 
actually  join  me  here.  He  is  simply  placed  under  my  orders  for  the  time 

being.  I  would  want  to  cover  the  cross  road  from  the  (direction). 

I  would  employ  Corporal  Y's  patrol  for  that  purpose.  As  soon  as  Corporal 
Y  reports  to  me  I  would  explain  the  situation  to  him  and  instruct  him 
to  take  up  a  position  on  the  road  he  has  just  marched  over,  covering  the 
cross  road." 

"Would  you  tell  him  how  far  out  to  go?" 

"No,  sir.  I  would  simply  give  him  his  general  instructions  and  let  him 
work  out  his  own  problem.  He  knows  the  situation  and  must  realize 
the  tactical  necessity  for  covering  the  cross  road.  I  would  simply  give 
him  his  mission  and  let  him  work  out  the  details." 

"That  is  right,"  remarks  the  Director. 

Explanation 

The  Director  then  addresses  the  class : 

"This  is  the  termination  of  this  Tactical  Walk.  Let  us  see  what  we 
have  gotten  out  of  it — of  what  tactical  -benefit  it  has  been  to  us. 

"1.  The  first  situation  was  devised  to  show  you  the  tactical  necessity 
for  a  flank  guard,  the  duties  that  devolve  upon  it,  and  the  formation  that 
is  best  calculated  to  enable  it  to  carry  out  its  functions. 

"2.  The  second  situation  was  devised  for  the  purpose  of  illustrating 
the  necessity  for  covering  approaches  by  which  an  enemy  may  cut  in  on 
the  main  body  of  a  column  and  delay  or  annoy  it.  Further,  the  method 
employed  in  giving  orders  and  instructions  while  continuing  to  march. 

"3.  The  third  situation  was  devised  to  give  you  experience  in  giving 
orders  to  and  conducting  a  combat  patrol  along  the  road. 


42  Tactical  Walks 

"4.  The  fourth  situation  brings  out  the  elements  contained  in  a  tactical 
'estimate  of  the  situation'  and  the  selection  and  occupation  of  a  small 
position. 

"5.  The  fifth  situation  was  devised  to  give  you  practical  instruction 
in  the  methods  of  troop  leading ;  rendering  a  quick  decision  on  the  appear- 
ance of  the  enemy  and  handling  a  squad  in  action.  Also  in  making  an 
estimate  of  the  situation  and  rendering  a  decision  when  your  mission 
has  been  carried  out  and  circumstances  which  could  not  have  been  fore- 
seen have  arisen  and  it  is  necessary  to  embark  on  a  new  mission  on  your 
own  initiative  and  without  orders — in  other  words,  when  a  man  is  thrown 
upon  his  own  resources  and  has  to  decide  for  himself  what  he  is  going 
to  do. 

"It  is  by  the  constant  practice  in  solving  these  situations  on  the  ground 
that  we  gain  that  confidence  in  our  ability  to  handle  them  when  we  have 
troops  actually  present.  The  idea  of  these  Tactical  Walks  is  that  you 
come  out  here  and  work  out  the  solution  without  troops.  Then  after  you 
have  learned  how  you  bring  your  troops  out  and  take  them  through  the 
problem  according  to  the  solution  that  you  have  worked  out  in  the  Tactical 
Walk. 

"I  am  sure  that  any  of  you  are  now  more  competent  to  handle  the 
operations  of  a  flank  guard  and  a  force  sent  out  to  cover  a  particular 
point.  I  am  sure  that  you  would  have  a  very  good  idea  of  what  to  do 
if  in  actual  service  you  were  confronted  with  situations  similar  to  those 
we  have  considered  in  our  walk  today. 

"Are  there  any  questions?"  The  Director  will  endeavor  to  answer  any 
questions  that  may  be  propounded." 


Problem  No.  2  Card  No.  5 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Explain  situation  of   troops. 

2.  Point  out  location  of   enemy.      Class  of  cavalry   detachment. 

3.  Bring  out  tactical  points  of  just  when  and  how   to  open  fire. 

4.  Orders   of   Corporal   X. 

5.  State   situation  with    respect   to   firing. 

6.  Estimate   of   the    situation.      Go    over    points    carefully   again:      (a)    Mission. 

(6)    Considerations  affecting  the   enemy,     (c)    Considerations    affecting   our 
own  forces,      (d)    Terrain,     (e)   Decision. 

7.  Methods  of  strengthening  position. 

8.  Orders  of  Corporal  X. 

9.  State   next  situation    orally. 

10.  Review  situations  and  what  they  were  devised  to   bring  out. 

11.  Dismiss   class. 


TACTICAL  WALK  No.  3 

AN  OUTPOST 
The  Problem 

General  Situation: 

The    (a)    forms   the  boundary   between  hostile   states.     A   Blue  force, 
consisting  of   two  battalions  of  infantry  under  the  command  of   Major 
A,  crossed  the  (6),  (c)  and  occupied  (d).    A  Red  force  has  been  reported 
in  the  vicinity  of   (e).     Contact  has  not  been  gained. 
Special  Situation,  Blue: 

Companies  (/)  and  (#),  under  the  command  of  Captain  K,  have  been 
detailed  for  outpost  duty.  Company  (h)  forms  support  No.  (i)  which, 
posted  (/),  covers  the  front  from  (&)  to  (£')•  Company  (i)  forms  sup- 
port No.  (tw),  which,  posted  (n),  covers  the  front  from  (0)  to  (</)•  The 
company  has  arrived  at  this  point  (/>),  when  the  support  commander  issues 
the  following  verbal  order  : 

"It  is  reported  that  there  is  a  force  of  the  enemy  in  the  vicinity  of 
(q).  Contact  has  not  yet  been  gained.  The  main  body  of  our  command 
is  bivouacked  at  (r).  Company  (s)  as  Support  No.  (t),  posted  at  (u), 
covers  the  front  from  (z/)  to  (vf).  This  company  forms  Support  No. 
(w),  to  be  posted  here,  and  cover  the  front  extending  from  (#)  to  (x'). 

"The  first  platoon,  under  Sergeant  A,  will  move  out  at  once  and  cover 
the  posting  of  the  outguards. 

"Corporal  B,  with  the  fourth  squad,  will  form  Outguard  No.  1,  which 
will  be  posted  at  (y)  and  cover  the  approaches  from  (2).  Communica- 
tion will  be  maintained  with  the  (aa)  of  the  line  occupied  by  Company 


"Corporal  C,  with  the  fifth  and  sixth  squads,  will  form  Outguard  No. 
2,  which  will  be  posted  at  (y)  and  cover  (2). 

"Corporal  D,  with  the  seventh  squad,  will  form  Outguard  No.  3,  which 
will  ,be  posted  at  (y)  and  (2). 

"The  remainder  of  the  company  will  be  posted  here  as  support.    Cooking 
will  be  done  at  the  support  and  distributed  to  the  outguards. 
"In  case  of  attack  the  outguards  will  be  supported. 
"Send  messages  here." 

Explanation  of  Letter  Symbols 

(a)  This  should  be  some  geographical  or  topographical  feature  commonly  known  to 
the  men,  such  as  a  river,  a  canal,  a  creek,  a  range  of  hills,  and,  as  a  last  resort,  a 
prominent  road  if  no  other  natural  feature  exists. 

(&)  Here  may  be  entered  the  word  "river,"  "canal,"  or  the  simple  word  "boundary" 
if  no  other  is  suitable. 

(c)  Enter   the  date  and  time.     If  the  feature   designated   as   the   boundary  is   close 
at   hand,  the   words   "this   morning"   may  be  entered.      If   the  boundary   be   at   some 
distance,   give  a  logical   date. 

(d)  State  the  place  where  the  main  body  of  the  command  is  suposed  to  be  located. 

(e)  A  place  or  locality  several  miles  distant  in  enemy  territory. 

(/)  Designate  one  of  the  companies  as  that  to  which  the  noncommissioned  officers 
forming  the  class  belong. 

(0)  Another  company  of  the  same  battalion. 


44  Tactical  Walks 

(h)  The  same  company  as  that  designated  in   (0). 

(*)  Give  the  numerical  designation  of  the  support.  The  elements  of  an  outpost  are 
always  designated  in  numerical  order  from  right  to  left.  Thus,  if  there  are  several 
supports,  we  designate  them  as  Supports  No.  1,  Support  No.  2,  etc.  Likewise  when 
we  have  several  outguards  posted  from  a  support'  we  designate  them  Outguard  No.  1, 
Outguard  No.  2,  etc.,  for  each  group  posted  from  a  support. 

(/)  Give  the  location  of  the  support  "at"  such  a  point,  or  "in  the  vicinity  of"  such 
a  point. 

(&  k')  Describe  the  front  to  be  occupied  by  the  company  indicated  in  (g)  as  ac- 
curately as  possible.  From  the  very  nature  of  the  duty,  some  organization  must  be 
responsible  for  every  foot  of  the  front  covered  by  an  outpost  line;  hence  we  specifi- 
cally define  the  limits  of  such  responsibility  by  employing  the  words  "inclusive"  or  "ex- 
clusive" when  indicating  the  terminals  of  the  front  for  which  an  organization  is 
responsible. 

(/)   The   company  to   which  the   noncommissioned   officers   forming  the  class  belong. 

(m)  Give  a  number  to  your  support.  If  it  is  an  the  right  of  the  line  of  supports, 
it  will  be  Support  No.  1;  if  it  is  on  the  left,  it  will  be  Support  No.  2,  etc. 

(n)   Define  the  locality  in  which  the  support  is  situated,  the  same  as  indicated  in  (;'). 

(o-of)  Define  the  front  as  indicated  in  (k-kf),  using  the  words  "inclusive"  or  "ex- 
clusive," as  may  be  appropriate. 

(/>)   The  point  where  the  main  body  of  the  support  is  to  be  located. 

(<?)   The  same  point  as  indicated  in   (e). 

(r)   Same  point  as  indicated  in   (d). 

CO   Same  company  designated  in    (fir). 

(0   Same  designated  as  (»)• 

(w)   Same  place  indicated  in   (/). 

(v-v'°)  Same  front  as  indicated  in  (k-k'}.  Be  careful  to  define  the  front  by  the  words 
"inclusive"  and  "exclusive." 

(w)Same   as   that  stated  in    (m). 

(x-xf)   Same  as  indicated  in   (0-0').    See  note    (t'-t/). 

(3;)  Describe  the  position  of  the  outguard  as  accurately  as  possible.  If  impracticable 
to  state  the  exact  position,  say  "in  the  vicinity  of." 

(2)  Give  the  direction,  using  the  points  of  the  compass,  as  "east,"  "south,"  "west," 
"north."  In  some  cases  you  may  say  "from  the  direction  of"  such  a  place,  or  "cover 
the  road,"  or  "cover  the  approaches  along  the  'railroad,'  'canal,'  "  etc. 

{ad)  "Right"  or  "left."  If  your  company  is  Support  No.  2,  it  will  be  "left.'  If 
your  company  is  Support  No.  1,  it  will  be  "right." 

(bb)   Same  as  in  (fir). 

It  should  be  understood  that  the  above  is  only  a  type  of  problem.  The 
wording  must  be  varied  to  suit  the  particular  terrain  over  which  the 
Tactical  Walk  is  to  be  conducted. 

Procedure 

The  Director  will  conduct  the  noncommissioned  officers  to  the  point 
where  the  support  of  the  outpost  is  supposed  to  be  located.  He  will 
impress  upon  them  that  to  make  the  problem  as  realistic  as  possible  they 
should  draw  upon  their  imagination  to  picture  the  tactical  situation  as 
it  would  actually  occur  in  time  of  war.  He  explains  that  the  company 
to  which  they  belong,  and  which  is  to  form  one  of  the  supports  of  the 
outpost,  is  supposed  to  have  just  arrived  at  the  point  where  they  are  now 
located;  that  the  company  is  standing  in  column  of  squads,  waiting  to 
receive  instructions ;  that  there  is  a  small  covering  detachment  out  to  the 
front  from  the  fourth  platoon,  to  prevent  surprise,  and  that  he  (the  Direc- 
tor), as  company  commander,  has  assembled  the  officers  and  noncommis- 
sioned officers  for  the  purpose  of  giving  them  their  instructions. 

At  this  point  a  copy  of  the  problem  is  handed  to  each  member  of  the 
class.  They  are  given  a  few  minutes  to  look  it  over.  The  Director  then 
reads  aloud  the  general  and  special  situations.  The  members  of  the  class 
follow  him  from  the  cards  in  their  possession.  The  tactical  situation  is 
explained  at  length.  The  Director  should  at  this  time  make  certain  that 
all  the  men  thoroughly  understand  the  details  of  the  general  and  special 


An  Outpost  45 

situations.  A  few  minutes  thus  spent  will  result  in  the  saving  of  much 
time  and  prevent  misunderstandings  as  the  problem  develops. 

Instructors  in  tactics  always  avail  themselves  of  the  opportunity  to  call 
attention  to  the  methods  of  the  composition  of  field  orders.  At  this  time 
a  good  opportunity  is  afforded  the  Director  to  invite  attention  to  the 
technique  of  the  order  and  to  explain  that  all  tactical  orders  follow  the 
same  general  scheme  in  their  composition,  whether  they  be  issued  verbally 
by  a  support  commander  of  an  outpost  or  are  written  out  in  detail  by 
the  staff  officer  of  a  division.  That  is,  we  first  state  all  the  available 
information  of  the  enemy  and  our  own  troops ;  we  follow  this  with  the 
plan  of  the  commander,  stated  in  general  terms;  thirdly,  we  provide  for 
the  disposition  of  troops,  generally  in  the  order  of  their  proximity  towards 
the  enemy;  we  next  provide  for  supply,  and,  lastly,  give  directions  where 
messages  or  information  are  to  be  sent  or  where  the  commander  will  be 
found. 

In  order  to  impress  the  tactical  situation  on  the  minds  of  the  members 
of  the  class,  as  well  as  to  test  their  understanding  of  it,  the  Director  selects 
a  noncommissioned  officer  and  says :  "Sergeant  B,  give  a  brief  statement 
of  the  military  situation  as  you  understand  it."  This  procedure  may  be 
repeated  until  the  Director  is  satisfied  that  every  man  is  familiar  with  the 
details  of  the  situation. 


Problem  No.  3  Card  No.  1 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Explain  situation  of  company  with  respect  to  the  problem. 

2.  Make  short  talk  on  the  technique  of  the  composition  of  tactical  orders. 

(a)  Information  of  enemy  and  own  troops. 
(&)   Plan  of  commander   in   general  terms. 

(c)  Disposition   of  troops   in   the    order   of   their   proximity   towards    the 
enemy. 

(d)  Supply  arrangements. 

(e)  Where  to  send  messages. 

3.  Test  grasp  of  situation  by  members  of  the  class  by  asking  questions. 

4.  Hand   out  the    first   situation. 


Procedure 

The  class  is  now  conducted  to  the  front  as  far  as  the  line  selected  for 
the  outguards,  where  it  is  halted.  We  are  now  ready  to  proceed  with  a 
detailed  solution  of  the  problem.  The  Director  distributes  the  slips  of 
paper  or  cards,  upon  which  have  been  written  the  following  situation : 

The  Problem 
Situation  No.  1: 

You,  Sergeant  A,  have  been  detailed  in  command  of  the  first  platoon 
(three   squads),   with   instructions  to   move  out   at   once   and   cover   the 
posting  of  the  outguards.     Your  command  has  arrived  at  this  point. 
Required : 

How  would  you  carry  out  your  mission? 


46  Tactical  Walks 

Procedure 

A  minute  or  two  will  be  given  the  men  to  allow  them  to-  read  over  the 
situation.  The  Director  will  then  read  it  aloud,  the  men  following  him 
from  the  cards  in  their  possession.  He  will  explain  that  each  man  is  now 
supposed  to  be  Sergeant  A,  and  that  each  is  to  make  his  own  solution 
without  consultation  with  others.  He  will  point  out  the  general  line  that 
the  outguards  are  to  occupy.  He  will  explain  the  small  covering  detach- 
ment that  was  posted  to  prevent  surprise  is  to  be  withdrawn,  and  that  the 
responsibility  for  security  while  the  outguards  are  being  posted  will  now 
rest  upon  Sergeant  A. 

The  Director  now  instructs  the  members  of  the  class  to  write  out  a 
memorandum  on  their  pads,  stating  just  what  they  would  do  under  the 
circumstances.  Some  ten  minutes  should  be  allowed  for  this  purpose.  This 
time  allowance  will  be  announced.  When  the  time  is  up  several  members 
are  directed  to  read  aloud  the  solution  they  have  prepared.  During  the 
course  of  this  reading  the  Director  explains  any  points  that  may  be  brought 
up  and  endeavors  to  answer  any  questions  that  may  be  propounded.  He 
interrogates  members  of  the  class  as  to  whether  or  not  they  agree  with 
certain  elements  of  the  solution  under  consideration  and  induces  discus- 
sion wherever  possible.  The  Director  then  collects  -all  the  solutions  and 
passes  them  back  to  the  members  of  the  class,  being  careful  to  see  that 
no  man  gets  his  own  solution  back  again.  This  is  done  for  the  twofold 
purpose  of  letting  the  men  see  how  others  are  solving  the  problem  and 
further  to  induce  careful  and  conscientious  work,  for  if  a  man  knows 
that  his  memorandum  solutions  are  to  be  seen  by  his  comrades  he  will 
take  more  pride  in  their  preparation. 

The  Director  then  proceeds  to  a  discussion  of  the  situation,  and  step 
by  step  arrives  at  a  solution  of  the  problem,  which  he  presents  to  the  class 
for  consideration. 

Explanation 

In  the  posting  of  the  outguards  there  will  unavoidably  be  more  or  less 
moving  around  and  exposure  to  view  of  the  enemy's  patrols,  should  any 
be  lurking  in  the  vicinity.  The  noncommissioned  officers  will  be  seeking 
out  the  best  positions  for  their  outguards,  selecting  observation  posts  for 
their  sentinels,  and  making  arrangements  for  defense.  The  officers  will 
be  moving  from  point  to  point  along  the  line  making  inspections,  pointing 
out  errors,  rectifying  the  position  of  the  various  elements,  and  making  a 
map  of  the  sector  covered.  In  order  that  all  of  this  may  be  accomplished 
in  security,  it  is  necessary  to  have  covering  detachments  well  out  to  the 
front  to  prevent  small  parties  of  the  enemy  interfering  with  the  work  in 
hand  or  making  observations  that  would  enable  them  to  form  an  estimate 
of  the  position  occupied  by  the  outposts. 

There  are  two  methods  by  which  this  covering  force  may  accomplish 
its  mission: 

1.  It  may  deploy  as  a  line  of  skirmishers  at  greatly  extended  intervals. 

2.  It  may  cover  the  front  with  a  number  of  small  patrols. 

No^hard  and  fast  rule  can  be  laid  down  that  will  provide  for  all  con- 
tingencies. The  first  method  has  the  disadvantage  of  being  most  difficult 


An  Outpost  47 

for  the  noncommissioned  officers  to  control  the  action  of  the  men.  The 
second  method  possesses  the  great  advantage  of  having  each  group  di- 
rectly under  the  control  of  a  leader,  so  that  in  case  the  enemy's  patrols 
are  encountered  and  it  is  necessary  to  drive  them  back,  there  can  be 
concert  of  action  instead  of  dependence  on  the  decisions  of  individual  men 
as  to  what  is  to  be  done  in  the  emergency.  The  method  to  be  employed 
will  depend  upon  circumstances,  the  nature  of  the  country,  the  number  of 
men  available  for  the  duty  and  the  proximity  of  the  enemy.  It  may  be 
advisable  to  use  a  combination  of  the  two  systems. 

The  requirements  of  the  problem  demand  that  the  front  of  the  line 
to  be  occupied  by  the  outguards  shall  be  efficiently  covered  with  the  force 
available.  The  methods  to  be  employed  in  accomplishing  this  result  will 
have  to  be  worked  out  in  detail  on  the  ground. 

Let  us  assume  that  the  small-patrol  formation  is  suitable  and  is  to  be 
employed.  Let  us  suppose  that  our  platoon  is  covering  the  posting  of 
Support  No.  2  of  the  outpost.  How  does  Sergeant  A  go  about  the  execu- 
tion of  his  mission?  In  the  first  place,  the  men  will  ,be  able  to  act  with 
more  understanding  and  intelligence  if  they  know  the  situation.  Sergeant 
A,  therefore,  gives  them  in  a  few  words  what  information  he  has  of  the 
enemy  and  our  own  troops.  He  next  states  his  plan  in  general  terms  and 
gives  such  instructions  as  apply  to  all  patrols.  He  designates  the  patrol 
leaders  and  the  men  to  form  their  patrols  and  gives  them  their  special 
instructions.  He  provides  for  a  small  support  to  meet  emergencies  and 
inform  the  patrol  commanders  where  they  are  to  send  their  messages. 
This  procedure  carries  out  the  general  form  of  a  Field  Order  as  pre- 
scribed in  Field  Service  Regulations. 

We  now  apply  these  principles  to  the  problem  under  consideration  and 
arrive  at  a  solution. 

Solution 

Sergeant  A  calls  his  platoon  to  attention  and  says :  "Fall  out !  Take 
off  your  packs  and  put  them  in  squad  piles  over  there  (indicating  the 
place).  Put  your  bayonets  on  your  belts,  then  fall  in  in  your  proper  places." 

When  the  platoon  has  again  assembled  he  calls  it  to  "attention"  and 
gives  the  following  instructions.  (It  is  assumed  that  the  men's  pieces  are 
loaded.) 

"A  force  of  the  enemy  is  reported  in  the  vicinity  of  -  — .  Con- 

tact has  not  been  gained.  The  main  body  of  our  command  is  bivouacked 
at  —  — .  Companies  -  —  and  -  —  form  the  outpost,  Company 

-  Support  No.  1,  andx  our  company  Support  No.  2. 

"This  platoon  will  cover  the  posting  of  the  outguards  of  Support  No. 
2  along  this  (indicating)  line.  All  patrols  will  advance  at  least  1,200 
yards  to  the  front.  Remain  out  until  you  receive  orders  to  withdraw. 

"Corporal  D,  take  the  front  rank  of  your  squad  and  move  out  to  the 

right  oblique  in  the  direction  of  that .  Get  in  touch  with  the 

covering  detachments  from  Company  -  — . 

"Private  E,  you  are  detailed  as  acting  corporal.  Take  the  rear  rank 
of  the  first  squad  and  move  out  in  the  direction  of  that . 

"Corporal  F,  take  the  front  rank  of  your  squad  and  move  to  the  front 
towards  that . 


48  Tactical  Walks 

"Private  G,  you  are  detailed  as  acting  corporal.  Take  the  rear  rank 
of  the  second  squad  and  move  out  to  the  left  oblique  in  the  direction  of 
that . 

"Corporal  H,  take  the  front  rank  of  your  squad  and  move  out  to  the 

left  oblique  in  the  direction  of  that .     There  will  be  no  other 

troops  on  your  left. 

"The  rear  rank  of  the  third  squad  will  accompany  me.  I  will  march 
200  yards  in  rear  of  Corporal  F's  patrol. 

"Send  messages  to  me. 

"Take  charge  of  your  patrols  and  move  out." 

To  the  rear  rank  of  the  third  squad,  "Follow  me!" 

In  designating  the  line  of  direction  of  the  march  of  the  patrols,  the 
platoon  commander  will  be  careful  to  give  them  prominent  objects,  if  pos- 
sible, but  at  least  definite  points  to  march  on. 

t 

Procedure 

The  solution  is  now  open  for  discussion.  The  men  are  invited  to  ask 
any  questions  or  make  any  comments  that  may  be  pertinent.  In  order 
to  test  their  grasp  of  the  situation,  one  or  more  may  be  required  to 
give  the  orders  as  stated  in  the  solution.  The  whole  idea  is  at  this  time 
to  impress  this  solution  so  firmly  on  the  minds  of  the  members  of  the 
class  that  in  case  they  were  called  upon  in  war  to  meet  a  similar  situa- 
tion they  would  know  what  to  do  and  how  to  do  it.  After  this  is  accom- 
plished the  Director  will  pass  on  to  the  next  situation. 


Problem  No.  3  Card  No.  2 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Read   situation.     Question  men   about  it. 

2.  Explain   each   man   is   now   supposed  to   be    Sergeant   A. 

3.  Write   out    solution    on    pads,    10   minutes. 

4.  Have  solutions  read.      Collect   them.     Distribute  them    again. 

5.  Explain  necessity  for  covering  troops. 

6.  Explain  two  methods  and  advantages   and  disadvantages,     (a)    Skirmishers. 

(&)  Patrols. 

7.  Elements  of  order,  for  patrols. 

8.  Give  the  orders  just  as  Sergeant  A  would  give  them. 

9.  Proceed  to   vicinity  of   Outguard   No.   2  and  give  out   Situation   No.    2. 


The  Director  then  conducts  the  class  to  the  vicinity  of  the  place  where 
it  is  intended  to  post  Outguard  No.  2. 

The  Problem 

Situation  No.  2: 

You,  Sergeant  C,  have  been  designated  to  command  Outguard  No.  2, 
which  is  to  be  posted  at  (y)  and  cover  (2).  (See  (y)  and  (2)  of  the 
problem.)  You  have  the  fifth  and  sixth  squads  of  the  company.  The 
first  platoon  has  been  divided  into  small  patrols  and  has  advanced  to  the 
front  to  cover  the  posting  of  the  outguards.  The  small  covering  detach- 
ment that  had  originally  been  sent  out  has  been  withdrawn. 


An  Outpost  49 

You  have  arrived  at  this  point  with  your  command. 
Required : 

How  would  you  carry  out  your  mission? 

Procedure 

The  Director  proceeds  along  the  same  lines  as  indicated  under  Situation 
No.  1.  He  passes  out  the  cards  on  which  the  situation  is  written.  The 
men  are  allowed  a  few  minutes  to  look  them  over.  Then  follows  the 
reading  of  the  situation  and  its  requirements.  It  is  explained  that  each 
man  is  to  now  consider  himself  as  being  Sergeant  C,  and  that  his  two 
squads  are  standing  there  (pointing  out  the  place)  waiting  for  orders. 

The  members  of  the  class  are  then  instructed  to  look  over  the  ground 
and  decide  upon  their  dispositions,  and  write  these  out  in  memorandum 
form  on  their  pads  or  indicate  them  on  a  rough  sketch.  Some  15  or  20 
minutes  are  allowed  for  this  purpose.  The  men  are  then  assembled  and 
several  called  upon  to  explain  their  dispositions.  During  the  course  of 
these  explanations  the  Directors  will  call  upon  others  for  their  views  on 
the  point  under  consideration. 

Then  follows  a  discussion  of  the  situation,  and  step  by  step  a  solution 
is  arrived  at. 

Solution 

The  Director  says :  "Corporal  Smith,  where  would  you  halt  your  com- 
mand while  you  are  looking  over  the  ground  and  deciding  upon  your 
disposition?"  Corporal  Smith  will  be  required  to  point  out  the  exact  spot 
where  he  would  halt  his  two  squads.  Others  of  the  class  may  be  inter- 
rogated on  this  same  point  and  required  to  give  their  reasons.  The  Di- 
rector then  points  out  that  the  troops  designated  for  outguard  duty  should, 
when  they  approach  the  line  to  be  occupied  by  the  outguards,  be  halted 
under  cover  a  short  distance  in  rear  of  the  line.  This  procedure  will 
prevent  small  patrols  of  the  enemy  from  discovering  the  position  of  the 
outguard. 

The  next  question  to  be  considered  is  the  selection  of  the  position  of 
the  outguard.  One  or  more  members  of  the  class  will  be  called  upon  for 
a  statement  as  to  just  where  they  would  locate  the  outguard,  and  by  a 
series  of  questions  their  reasons  brought  out  for  so  locating  it.  After 
getting  the  ideas  of  the  men,  the  Director  will  enter  upon  a  detailed 
analysis  of  the  subject  with  a  view  to  impressing  it  indelibly  on  their 
minds. 

Explanation 

There  are  some  pretty  definite  rules  that  may  be  laid  down  governing 
the  location  of  an  outguard.  In  the  first  place,  the  location  within  reason- 
able limits  has  been  designated  by  the  support  commander  in  his  order. 
We  are  directed,  let  us  say,  to  cover  the  approaches  from  the  east.  Having 
these  two  conditions  in  mind,  we  proceed  to  a  consideration  of  the  other 
elements  affecting  the  location,  as  follows: 

1.  It  should  be  located  on  and  command  some  route  leading  from  the 
direction  of  the  enemy,  or  where  he  is  reported  to  be,  the  strongest  out- 
guards  covering  the  most  important  routes. 


50  Tactical  Walks 

2.  It  should  be  in  a  good  defensive  position,  have  a  good  field  of  fire 
to  the  front  and  in  an  oblique  direction  towards  both  flanks,  and  should 
be  so  far  concealed  that  the  enemy  could  not  discover  it  without  attacking. 

The  position  selected  by  members  of  the  class  will  then  be  examined 
to  determine  whether  it  fulfills  the  above  requirements. 

Sergeant  Cs  outguard  is  the  strongest  sent  out  from  the  support.  It 
may  therefore  be  assumed  that  the  approaches  leading  from  the  direction 
of  the  enemy  are  the  most  important  within  the  limits  of  the  sector  assigned 
to  the  support  and  that  they  must  be  adequately  covered.  Does  the  location 
selected  accomplish  this? 

In  the  order  of  the  support  commander,  Sergeant  C  has  been  informed 
that  "in  case  of  attack  the  outguards  will  be  supported."  This  places  the 
line  of  defense  of  the  outpost  on  the  line  occupied  by  the  outguards  and 
makes  it  doubly  imperative  that  a  position  be  selected  that  is  or  can  be 
made  suitable  for  defense.  Does  the  position  selected  fulfill  this  require- 
ment? Is  there  a  good  field  of  fire  to  the  front  and  obliquely  to  the 
flanks.  Is  it  naturally  a  strong  position?  If  not,  can  it  be  made  so? 
Can  obstacles  be  placed  so  as  to  check  the  enemy's  advance  and  hold  him 
under  the  fire  of  the  outguard?  Is  there  any  ground  to  the  front  within 
range  that  commands  the  position?  Are  there  good,  approaches  to  the 
points  tentatively  selected  for  the  sentinel  posts?  Is  it  possible  to  pro- 
vide for  a  mutual  supporting  fire  with  adjacent  outguards?  Are  these 
good  communications  with  the  adjoining  outguards  and  with  the  support? 

All  of  these  elements  will  be  considered,  and  while  it  is  not  contemplated 
that  a  position  will  be  found  that  fulfills  all  of  them  the  position  that  satis- 
fies the  greatest  number  should  be  selected. 

In  the  course  of  the  discussion  on  this  subject  the  Director  will  encour- 
age the  men  to  ask  questions  and  express  their  views.  In  the  end  he 
will  state  definitely  the  position  selected  for  the  outguard  and  give  his 
reasons  for  determining  on  that  particular  location. 

The  next  question  that  presents  itself  for  consideration  is  the  number 
of  sentinel  posts  that  are  to  be  sent  out  from  the  outguard.  How  many 
times  at  maneuvers  have  you  gone  out  to  make  your  first  inspection  of 
your  outpost  line  to  find  that  outguard  commanders  had  practically  every 
man  of  their  commands  posted  as  sentinels?  The  Director  will  here  ex- 
plain that  an  outguard  of  two  squads  is  sufficiently  strong  to  maintain 
two  double  sentinel  posts  of  three  reliefs,  each  with  a  surplus  of  two 
privates  for  carrying  messages,  forming  connecting  files  and  performing 
such  other  duties  as  may  become  necessary  from  time  to  time;  that  the 
outguard  is  usually  posted  for  24  hours;  that  the  sentinels  are  usually 
relieved  every  two  hours,  and  in  inclement  weather  or  exceptional  cases 
every  hour. 

Procedure 

The  class  then  proceeds  to  the  task  of  actually  locating  the  two  sentinel 
posts.  The  Director  will  require  several  of  the  men  to  point  out  the  loca- 
tion that  they  have  tentatively  selected  and  by  questions  bring  out  their 
ideas  on  the  subject.  After  this  it  will  be  necessary  to  conduct  the  class 
to  the  various  points,  and  after  a  comparison  of  all  of  them,  decide  defi- 
nitely upon  the  location  that  most  nearly  meets  the  requirements. 


An  Outpost  51 

Explanation 

By  day  the  sentinel  must  be  able  to  see  the  whole  of  the  ground  allotted 
to  him  for  observation.  He  should  be  provided  with  sufficient  cover  so 
that  the  enemy's  patrols  will  not  be  able  to  locate  him.  He  should  have 
good  communication  with  the  outguard  and  the  adjoining  sentinels.  Ex- 
cellent observation  posts  may  sometimes  be  found  in  large  trees,  one  of 
the  sentinels  of  the  double  post  being  located  in  a  tree  and  the  other 
on  the  ground  near  the  foot  of  the  tree.  It  may  be  that  the  best  location 
for  observation  is  also  the  best  for  resistance,  in  which  case  the  sentinels 
may  be  posted  on  or  very  near  the  actual  locality  to  be  defended  by  the 
outguard.  There  is  no  objection  to  this,  provided  the  members  of  the 
outguard,  as  well  as  the  sentinel,  are  well  concealed  from  the  view  of  the 
enemy. 

The  location  of  the  sentinel  post  at  night  requires  the  most  careful  con- 
sideration. It  depends  considerably  upon  the  degree  of  darkness,  and  con- 
sequently the  value  of  eye-sight  as  compared  with  hearing.  On  a  very 
dark  night,  when  the  sentinel  can  see  only  a  few  yards  in  front  of  him, 
it  is  evident  that  his  ears  will  be  more  useful  than  his  eyes.  Furthermore, 
the  difficulties  of  the  enemy  will  be  increased  by  the  darkness,  and  he  is 
likely  to  make  more  noise  by  stumbling  over  unseen  obstructions.  On  a 
still  night  a  sentinel  posted  on  high  ground  can  hear  better  than  when 
on  low  ground,  because  there  is  likely  to  be  less  obstruction  in  the  way 
of  trees  and  other  objects  to  interfere  with  the  sound  waves  passing 
through  the  atmosphere.  It  therefore  appears  that  on  a  very  dark  night, 
when  the  ears  are  more  efficient  than  the  eyes,  the  sentinel  should  be 
posted  on  high  ground,  with  low  ground  to  his  front. 

When  the  darkness  is  not  so  great  and  the  powers  of  sight  more  nearly 
approach  in  value  the  powers  of  hearing,  it  is  better  to  place  the  sentinel 
on  low  ground,  with  the  sky  line  to  his  front.  This  is  because  approach- 
ing persons  will  be  silhouetted  on  the  sky  line  and  that  it  is  difficult  to 
see  when  looking  down  from  a  height  into  a  dark  valley. 

The  night  post  should  always  be  provided  with  an  obstacle  placed  from 
10  to  30  yards  to  the  front  of  the  sentinel.  It  must  be  low,  so  that  it  will 
not  be  seen  by  an  approaching  enemy.  Its  value  is  increased  if  a  wire 
or  rope  is  attached  to  some  object  that  will  fall  down  with  a  loud  noise 
when  anyone  trips  over  the  obstacle. 

Having  located  the  position  of  the  outguard  and  the  two  double  sen- 
tinels posted  from  it,  the  Director  will  review  Situation  No.  2,  impressing 
upon  the  men  all  the  factors  that  have  entered  into  the  solution  of  it. 


52  Tactical  Walks 


Problem  No.  3  Card  No.  3 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY. 

1.  Read  situation.      Question  men   about   it. 
2.  Explain  that  each  man   is  now  supposed  to  be  .Sergeant  C. 

3.  Write  out   brief   of  solution   on"  pads — 20   minutes. 

4.  Read  some   solutions.     Collect  and   distribute. 

5.  Halting  place  for  command. 

6.  Selection    of    position    for    outguard.       (a)  Command    route    leading    from 

enemy,  (fc)  Defensive  position,  (c)  Concealment,  (d)  Field  of  fire. 
((?)  Obstacles.  (/)  Commanding  positions.  (gr)  Communications  to 
sentinels,  support,  and  adjoining  outguards. 

7.  Explain  number  of  sentinel  posts  that  may  be  furnished. 

8.  Location  of  sentinel  posts,     (a)   Day.     (&)    Night,      (c)   High  ground,      (d) 

Low  ground. 

9.  Requirements  of  sentinel  posts. 

10.  Proceed   to    Sentinel   Post    No.    1    and    give    out   Situation    No.    3. 


We  are  now  ready  to  proceed  with  the  next  situation  and  its  require- 
ments. 

The  Problem 

Situation  No.  3: 

It  has  been  decided  to  locate  double-sentinel  post  No.   1  of  Outguard 
No.  2  at  this  point.    The  fifth  squad  has  been  detailed  to  furnish  the  re- 
liefs for  it.     You,  Corporal  K,  commanding  the  fifth  squad,   have  been 
instructed  to  post  your  first  relief. 
Required : 

The  orders  and  instructions  that  you  would  give  your  sentinels. 

Procedure 

The  same  procedure  will  be  followed  as  heretofore  explained.  (See 
Director's  Key — Card  No.  4.)  Each  man  will  now  consider  himself  as 
Corporal  K.  He  has  arrived  at  the  point  where  his  sentinels  are  to  be 
posted.  He  has  the  two  men  forming  the  first  relief  with  him.  What 
orders  and  instructions  will  be  given  them? 

Each  member  of  the  class  will  be  required  to  write  out  on  his  memo- 
randum pad  the  orders  and  instructions  that  he  would  give  these  senti- 
nels. After  a  reasonable  time,  several  will  be  required  to  read  their  memo- 
randa aloud.  The  memoranda  will  then  be  collected  and  distributed  as 
heretofore  explained. 

Explanation 

The  Director  then  proceeds  with  a  detailed  discussion  of  the  situation, 
and  finally  arrives  at  a  solution  which  is  presented  for  consideration.  The 
elements  involved  will  include  the  following: 

The  sentinels  must  have  imparted  to  them  all  information  of  the  enemy 
and  our  own  troops.  With  respect  to  the  latter,  they  must  be  fully  in- 
formed of  the  covering  patrols  that  have  been  sent  out  and  the  location 
of  the  adjoining  sentinel  posts.  The  location  of  the  main  body  of  the 
outguard  should  be  pointed  out,  and,  if  practicable,  the  position  of  adjoin- 
ing outguards. 


An  Outpost 

They  will  be  given  the  number  of  their  own  post  and  the  number  of 
the  outguard  from  which  they  are  posted. 

They  will  be  informed  as  to  the  points  to  which  the  roads  and  trails 
lead,  and,  if  practicable,  the  names  of  important  topographical  points  in 
sight. 

They  will  ,be  given  the  countersign,  if  one  is  used.  The  method  of 
challenge  and  identification  of  persons  approaching  the  outpost  sentinels 
at  night  should  be  changed  from  time  to  time  so  that  there  will  be  less 
chance  for  the  enemy  to  know  just  what  system  is  being  used  on  a  par- 
ticular night.  On  one  occasion  a  countersign  using  the  name  of  a  battle 
or  general  may  be  used;  on  another  night  the  system  of  tapping  the 
knuckles  on  the  rifle  stock  may  be  employed. 

The  mistake  of  giving  sentinels  too  many  orders  and  instructions  should 
be  carefully  avoided.  If  their  minds  are  burdened  with  too  many  details, 
they  are  likely  to  become  hesitating,  timid  and  confused.  The  controlling 
idea  is  that  they  should  know  where  to  look  for  the  enemy  and  what  to 
do  if  they  see  him.  Having  in  mind  the  foregoing  elements,  the  Director 
presents  the  following  solution  for  consideration  and  discussion: 

Solution 

Corporal  K  gives  his  sentinels  the  following  orders  and  instructions: 

"A  force  of  the  enemy  has  been  reported  in  the  vicinity  of  (q)"  (See 
(g)  of  the  problem.  The  corporal  explains  where  the  place  is  if  it  is 
not  commonly  known  to  the  men.)  "We  have  not  yet  gained  contact. 
The  first  platoon  is  distributed  across  our  front  in  small  patrols  covering 
the  posting  of  the  outguards.  The  sentinel  from  Outguard  No.  1  is  posted 

(pointing  out  the  location).  Post  No.  2  from  our  outguard  is 

stationed  (pointing  out  the  location).  The  main  body  of  our 

outguard  is  to  be  posted (pointing  out  the  location). 

"This  is  post  No.  1  of  Outguard  No.  2. 

"That  road  leads  in  the  direction  of  (q).  That  trail  leads  in  the  direc- 
tion of  .  The  stream  to  the  right  is  the  .  That  large 

building  is  ,  etc. 

"The  countersign  is  'Wilderness/ 

"If  you  observe  the  enemy,  signal  to  me  at  Outguard  No.  2." 

Note  that  at  least  one  man  of  the  post  should,  if  practicable,  be  posted 
where  he  can  see  the  outguard.  If  this  is  impracticable,  a  connecting  file 
will  have  to  be  posted  where  he  can  see  one  of  the  sentinels  and  also  see 
the  outguard. 

Explanation 

At  this  point  an  excellent  opportunity  is  afforded  for  the  Director  to 
explain  a  few  rules  for  the  guidance  of  a  sentinel  on  outpost  duty. 

1.  He  must  watch  and  listen  without  betraying  his  presence.    Observa- 
tion is  the  first  consideration  and  concealment  of  secondary  importance. 

2.  He  must  not  smoke  and  matches  must  not  be  lighted  at  night. 

3.  Such  conversation  as  is  absolutely  necessary  must  be  conducted  in 
subdued  tones. 

4.  He  must  not  have  any  arms  or  accouterments  that  will  glitter  in  the 
sunlight. 


54  Tactical  Walks 

5.  Except  at  night  and  in  foggy  weather,  the  bayonet  must  be  kept  in 
the  scabbard. 

6.  Persons  arrested  are  ordinarily  held  at  the  post  until  a  patrol  comes 
out  to  take  charge  of  them. 

7.  He  will  not  allow  his  vigilance  to  be  disturbed  by  the  requirements 
of  military  etiquette.    He  pays  no  compliments  and  does  not  salute  officers 
unless  addressed  by  them. 

8.  Everything  that  he  observes  with  respect  to  the  enemy  must  be  com- 
municated to  the  outguard  commander,  especial  care  being  taken  to  report 
promptly  all  indication  of  the  enemy's  approach.     If  he  is  satisfied  that 
the  enemy  is  advancing  to  attack,  the  alarm  may  be  given  by  firing.    When 
immediate  alarm  is  not  necessary,  firing  should  be  avoided. 

There  is  nothing  that  so  irritates  troops  as  needless  outpost  firing  at 
night,  when  they  need  rest.  Needless  firing,  besides  alarming  the  outpost 
troops,  and  possibly  those  of  the  main  body,  gives  information  to  the 
enemy  of  the  location  of  the  line  of  observation,  from  which  he  is  able 
to  deduce  the  position  of  the  outguards.  It  should  be  an  invariable  rule 
that  sentinels  do  not  fire  except  as  a  last  resort.  There  is  never  any 
necessity  for  it  except  when  the  covering  patrols  are  being  driven  in  and 
are  being  hard  pressed,  in  which  case  the  sentinel  may  fire  to  assist  in 
covering  the  withdrawal,  if  such  action  is  absolutely  necessary.  Night 
firing  is  of  little  value  in  any  event.  It  is  only  effective  for  very  short 
distances,  and  should  be  discouraged  by  every  possible  means. 


Problem  No.  3  Card  No.  4 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY. 

1.  Read  situation.     Question  men  about  it. 

2.  Explain  that  each  man  is  now   supposed  to  be  Corporal   K. 

3.  Write  out  a  brief  solution   on  pads — 10  minutes. 

4.  Read   some    solutions.    Collect    and    distribute. 

5.  Information    for    sentinels.     Enemy.     Own    troops.      Number    of    post    and 

outguard.      Topographic     information,     roads,     trails,     rivers,     prominent 
points.     Countersign. 

6.  Give  orders  to  sentinel   just  as  Corporal   K  would  give  them. 

7.  Rules    for    guidance    of    sentinel:     Observation.       Concealment.       Smoking. 

Matches     Glittering   accouterments.     Bayonet.      Persons   arrested.      Mili- 
tary courtesy.     Report  when  enemy  seen.     Outpost  firing. 


Procedure 

The  class  is  now  conducted  to  a  point  about  300  yards  to  the  front  of 
the  line  of  sentinels,  preferably  on  the  main  route  leading  towards  the 
enemy.  The  Director  gives  out  the  following  situation  and  requirement : 

The  Problem 
Situation  No.  4: 

Several  hours  have  elapsed  since  Situation  No.  3  terminated.  You, 
Sergeant  M,  have  been  given  a  patrol  of  four  men  and  ordered  to  bring 
in  a  "Parlementaire,"  who  is  accompanied  by  an  escort  of  one  bugler  and 
two  noncommissioned  officers,  one  bearing  a  flag  of  truce.  The  party 
has  been  halted  by  the  sentinel  and  is  standing  here  awaiting  instruc- 
tions. Your  patrol  has  arrived  at  this  point. 


An  Outpost 

Required: 

How  would  you  carry  out  your  mission? 

Procedure 

The  Director  reads  over  the  situation  aloud.  The  men  follow  from 
the  copy  in  their  possession.  He  will  first  explain  the  meaning  of  the 
term  and  the  functions  of  the  "Parlementaire"  to  the  men. 

Explanation 

The  term  parlementaire  is  used  to  designate  persons  through  whom 
non-hostile  intercourse  is  conducted  between  belligerent  armies.  Their 
duties  may  include  every  form  of  communication  with  the  enemy  in  the 
field.  A  parlementaire  enters  enemy  territory  under  the  protection  of  a 
flag  of  truce.  He  and  the  escort  accompanying  him  are  inviolable  so  long 
as  they  do  not  take  advantage  of  their  privileged  position  to  commit  an 
act  of  treachery. 

The  rules  of  warfare  permit  a  parlementaire  to  be  accompanied  by  not 
more  than  three  persons.  These  are  usually  a  bugler,  who  may  be  em- 
ployed to  sound  a  call,  such  as  "attention/*  to  direct  the  attention  of  the 
sentinels  to  the  party  and  thus  make  known  their  status  to  a  certainty;  a 
flag  bearer,  who  bears  a  white  flag,  technically  known  as  a  "flag  of  truce," 
the  displaying  of  which  merely  indicates  a  desire  for  communication,  and 
has  no  other  significance  in  international  law;  and  one  orderly,  who  may 
or  may  not  be  an  interpreter. 

Solution 

In  order  to  bring  out  in  detail  the  course  to  be  pursued  by  Sergeant 
M,  the  Director  will  propound  questions  to  members  of  the  class :  "Cor- 
poral Jones,  you  have  arrived  at  this  point.  You  are  Sergeant  M.  You 
have  the  members  of  your  patrol  disposed  so  as  to  prevent  surprise.  What 
is  the  first  thing  that  you  would  do?"  Corporal  Jones  has  probably  never 
given  this  question  a  single  thought,  and  is  liable  to  make  any  one  of  a 
dozen  answers.  After  thus  questioning  several  of  the  men,  the  Director 
will  bring  out  the  point  that  Sergeant  M  would  have  all  the  members  of 
the  parlementaire's  party  face  in  the  direction  from  which  they  came. 
"What  is  the  next  step  to  be  taken,  Sergeant  White?"  It  will  be  inter- 
esting to  note  the  answers.  The  idea  to  be  brought  out  is  that  all  the 
members  of  the  party  are  to  be  blindfolded.  How  are  you  going  to  accom- 
plish this  ?  A  handkerchief  makes  a  poor  blindfold.  Two  first-aid  packets, 
one  of  which  every  soldier  carries,  will  provide  the  apparatus  for  effectu- 
ally carrying  out  this  requirement.  Open  the  packet  and  place  one  of  .the 
compresses  over  the  eyes  and  use  the  bandage  part  to  fasten  around  the 
head. 

"Corporal  Smith,  how  many  of  the  party  would  Sergeant  M  take  back 
to  the  support  commander?"  Only  the  parlementire ;  the  other  members 
of  the  party  are  not  entitled  to  go  unless  one  is  an  interpreter  and  his 
services  are  necessary  to  conduct  the  interview. 


56  Tactical  Walks 

Explanation 

At  this  stage  the  Director  will  bring  out  the  following  points :  Marked 
courtesy  must  be  observed  on  both  sides.  Sergeant  M  should  refrain 
from  engaging  in  conversation  with  members  of  the  party  and  forbid  all 
the  members  of  his  patrol  from  so  doing.  Only  such  conversation  as  is 
necessary  for  the  conduct  of  the  business  in  hand  should  be  permitted. 
Great  care  will  be  exercised  not  to  ask  for  nor  to  impart  any  military 
information. 

The  next  question  for  Sergeant  M  to  decide  is  the  disposition  of  the 
escort  and  the  members  of  his  patrol  while  he  is  conducting  the  parlemen- 
taire  to  the  support  commander.  It  is  well  to  take  no  chances  on  surprise, 
and  the  escort  and  patrol  will  ,be  disposed  with  this  object  in  view.  The 
escort  may  be  allowed  to  sit  down  on  the  roadside  and  the  members  of 
the  patrol  placed  so  as  to  guard  them  and  at  the  same  time  protect  them- 
selves from  surprise.  It  will  be  well  for  Sergeant  M  to  take  one  of  the 
members  of  his  patrol  with  him  as  escort  for  the  parlementaire.  This 
leaves  three  members  of  the  patrol  for  guarding  the  escort. 

Solution  (Continued) 

"Sergeant  Jones,  how  would  you  dispose  of  these  three  men  left  with 
the  escort?"  After  getting  Jones'  views  on  the  subject,  others  will  be 
questioned.  The  main  idea  is  to  post  the  men  so  they  can  guard  the 
escort,  prevent  surprise,  and  have  one  "get-away  man"  if  anything  should 
happen  despite  the  precautions  taken.  It  will  depend  to  some  extent  on 
the  nature  of  the  surroundings.  In  the  normal  case  one  man  would  be 
posted  about  40  yards  in  front  of  the  group,  one  man  near  the  group, 
and  one  man  about  30  yards  in  rear.  The  Director  will  definitely  locate 
the  escort  and  point  out  just  where  the  three  men  of  the  escort  are  to 
be  stationed. 

The  next  question  that  arises  is  with  regard  to  the  route  by  which 
Sergeant  M  will  conduct  the  parlementaire  to  the  support  commander. 
The  Director  will  call  upon  several  members  of  the  class  for  their  views 
on  this  subject,  and  will  finally  bring  out  the  following  ideas: 

Every  precaution  must  be  taken  to  prevent  the  parlementaire  from 
gaining  any  information  of  military  value.  He  must  not  ,be  allowed  to 
estimate  the  distance  between  the  various  elements  of  the  outpost  nor  to 
locate  them  with  reference  to  some  known  point.  These  requirements 
compel  Sergeant  M  to  conduct  him  back  over  a  circuitous  route.  It  may 
be  well  to  lead  him  several  hundred  yards  to  the  front  of  the  sentinel 
posts,  then  by  the  flank  for  some  distance,  then  double  on  the  trail,  and 
finally  cross  the  line  of  outguards  when  it  is  certain  that  he  is  sufficiently 
confused  to  prevent  his  determining  the  location. 

During  this  operation  the  support  commander  will  have  been  watching 
from  a  concealed  position,  and  will  meet  Sergeant  M  somewhere  behind 
the  line  of  outguards  at  a  point  other  than  the  location  of  the  support, 
where  the  interview  will  be  held  as  a  preliminary  to  further  action  on 
the  part  of  the  support  commander.  After  explaining  all  of  this  to  the 
members  of  the  class,  it  may  be  well,  if  time  is  available,  to  take  them 
over  a  route  that  might  be  used. 


An  Outpost 

To  sum  up  Sergeant  M's  solution  of  the  problem,  he  would  proceed 
as  follows: 

1.  Have  the  members  of  the  enemy  party  face  in  the  direction  from 
which  they  came. 

2.  Blindfold  them,  using  the  contents  of  two  first-aid  packets. 

3.  Make  a  division  of  the  patrol  to  guard  the  members  of  the  escort 
and  to  conduct  the  parlementaire  back  to  the  support  commander. 

4.  Dispose  the  men  left  to  guard  the  escort  to  prevent  surprise  and 
facilitate  the  signaling  of  information  to  the  outguard  in  case  of  neces- 
sity. 

5.  Conduct  the  parlementaire  to.  the  support  commander  by  a  circuitous 
route. 

Explanation 

The  discussion  of  this  simple  situation  may  appear  to  be  rather  elabo- 
rate, but  it  is  estimated  that  if  the  subject  is  gone  over  in  detail  as 
indicated  every  noncommissioned  officer  participating  in  this  Tactical  Walk 
will  be  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  procedure  of  the  reception  of  a 
flag  of  truce  should  he  ever  be  called  upon  to  perform  that  duty.  We 
read  about  these  things  in  the  standard  military  books,  but  forget  the 
details.  Let  a  man  have  them  brought  out  to  him  on  the  ground,  as 
this  is,  and  he  will  remember  them  forever. 

While  the  enemy  party  is  in  the  vicinity,  the  troops  of  the  outguard 
will  be  kept  closely  under  cover  and  there  will  be  no  moving  around 
permitted  along  the  outpost  line.^ 

This  is  about  all  that  may  be  readily  accomplished  in  one  Tactical  Walk. 
It  is  not  believed  to  be  good  policy  to  attempt  more  than  the  average 
man  is  able  to  absorb  in  one  session. 


Problem  No.  3  Card  No.  5 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY. 

1.  Read  situation.     Question  men  about  it. 

2.  Explain  that  each  man  is  now  supposed  to  be  Sergeant  M. 

3.  Points  to  be  brought  out:   (a)    Functions  of  parlementaire.      (fc)   Escort,    (c) 

Inviolability. 

4.  Face  party  in  direction  from  which  they  came. 

5.  Blindfold. 

6.  Dispose   patrol  to  guard  members   of  escort. 

7.  Conduct  parlementaire  back  to  the  support  commander   by  circuitous  route. 

8.  Silence  and  immovability  along  the   line  of  outguards. 


TACTICAL  WALK  No.  4 

A  RECONNOITERING  PATROL 
The  Problem 

Situation  No.  1: 

A  Blue  infantry  force  in  hostile  country  has  arrived  at  (a),  and  is 
establishing  outposts  along  the  line  (b). 

A  force  of  the  enemy  is  reported  advancing  from  the  direction  of  (c). 
Contact  has  not  yet  been  established. 

At  (d),  while  the  outposts  are  getting  into  position,  you,  Sergeant  A, 
are  given  the  following  instructions  by  the  support  commander  at  (e)  : 

"The  enemy  is  reported  from  the  direction  of  (/).  Our  patrols  will 
cover  the  (g)  and  (h).  You  will  take  this  patrol  of  (i)  and  proceed  in 
the  direction  of  (k)  and  find  out  what  you  can  about  the  enemy.  It  is 
especially  desired  that  you  determine  the  enemy's  strength  and  his  line 
of  advance  (/).  Send  your  reports  to  (m).  Return  when  darkness  pre- 
vents further  reconnaissance." 
Required: 

What  are  the  duties  of  Sergeant  A  before  starting  out  with  his  patrol? 

Explanation  of  Letter  Symbols 

(a)  The  point  selected  is  the  initial  or  starting  point.     It  should  be  as  close   in  as 
possible,   to   prevent  unnecessary   walking  and  consequent   loss   of   time. 

(b)  This  line  should  be  logically  selected  with  a  view  to  covering  the  location  named 
in   (a)  from  the  direction  of  the  point  named  in  (c). 

(c)  Some  place  several  miles  to  the  front. 

(d)  The  actual  time  of  starting  the  Tactical  Walk. 

(e)  Should  preferably  be  at  the  location  of  one  of  the  supports  of  the  outpost.     If 
the  point  where  it  is  desired  to  start  the  Tactical  Walk  is  not  suitable  for  the  location 
of  a  support  and  is  difficult  to  describe,  the  Problem  may  state,   "At  this  point." 

(/)   The  same  place  as  named  in   (c). 

(0)  CO  Fully  describe  the  routes  of  any  other  patrols  that  are  being  sent  out  from 
the  outpost  line.  If  the  routes  have  local  names,  use  them.  If  they  can  be  seen 
from  where  the  Director  stands,  point  them  out. 

(*)  Designate  the  number  of  men  that  the  patrol  is  to  contain,  as  "so  many  non- 
commissioned officers  and  so  many  privates."  This  number  will  be  determined  by 
the  mission  of  the  patrol  and  the  number  of  messages  that  it  will  have  to  send  back. 
It  is  well  occasionally  to  frame  a  problem  and  fix  the  strength  of  the  patrol  at  a 
lower  number  than  is  necessary  to  conduct  the  work  properly.  On  the  other  hand, 
it  may  be  well  to  fix  the  strength  at  a  greater  number  than  is  necessary  to  show  the 
evil  of  having  superfluous  men  in  the  patrol.  These  two  courses  bring  before  the 
men  in  a  practical  manner  the  necessity  for  having  sufficient  men  to  accomplish  the 
object  in  view,  and  that,  on  the  other  hand,  a  surplus  is  only  a  burden. 

(k)  Some  intermediate  point  between   (c)   and  (*). 

(/)  It  may  be  desirable  to  vary  the  problem  by  directing  the  partol  to  proceed  to 
some  definite  point  with  some  definite  object  in  view,  as  the  examination  of  a  bridge, 
location  of  a  bivouac  for  the  night,  reconnoissance  of  a  village  or  a  group  of  houses, 
etc.,  in  which  case  the  several  sentences  of  the  problem  would  have  to  be  changed 
accordingly. 

(m)   This  is  generally  to   "Support  No.  "  or  to   "this  point." 

Procedure 

The  class  is  conducted  to  the  point  designated  in  the  problem  as  (e), 
where  the  cards  bearing  the  situation  are  handed  out  by  the  Director,  a 


A  Reconnoitering  Patrol  59 

copy  to  each  member.  Some  five  minutes  should  be  allowed  for  n  study 
of  the  problem  and  to  get  every  one  properly  oriented.  The  Director  will 
point  out  the  general  location  of  the  outpost  line.  He  explains  that  each 
member  of  the  class  will,  throughout  the  problem,  consider  himself  as 
being  Sergeant  A.  He  makes  any  explanation  of  the  problem  that  may 
appear  to  be  necessary. 

After  satisfying  himself  that  all  are  familiar  with  the  tactical  situation, 
the  Director  calls  attention  to  the  requirement  of  the  problem.  He  directs 
the  members  of  the  class  to  make  a  memorandum  on  their  pads,  stating 
briefly  just  exactly  what  they  would  do  if  they  were  actually  confronted 
with  the  situation  before  them. 

Some  fifteen  minutes  will  be  allowed  for  the  solution  of  the  require- 
ment, at  the  end  of  which  time  the  memoranda  are  collected,  several 
selected  at  random  and  read,  and  then  distributed  so  that  no  man  receives 
his  own  solution  back  again.  This  is  done  for  the  purpose  of  letting 
the  members  of  the  class  see  how  others  are  solving  the  problem. 

The  Director  will  now  take  up  the  subject  in  detail  and  explain  the 
several  duties  of  the  patrol  commander  before  starting  out  with  his  patrol, 
as  follows : 

Explanation 

Sergeant  A  would: 

1.  Make  an  inspection  of  his  patrol,  satisfying  himself  that  the  mem- 
bers are  in  suitable  condition  for  the   duty  to  be  performed.     He  sees 
that  each  man  is  properly  armed  and  equipped  and  has  the  proper  amount 
of  ammunition;  that  none  are  sick,  footsore,  or  intoxicated.     (Note:    Any 
equipment  carried  that  is  not  needed   on   reconnoitering  patrol   duty   is 
superfluous.     All  a  man  needs  is  his  rifle,  belt,  canteen,  first-aid  packet, 
and  a  few  rounds  of  ammunition.    As  a  rule,  packs  should  not  be  carried.) 

2.  Assure   himsef   that   the   accouterments   are   so   arranged   as   not   to 
glisten  in  the  sunlight   nor   rattle  when   the  men   walk   or   move.     The 
equipment  is  designed  with  these  objects  in  view,  and  if  properly  worn 
needs  no  further  adjustment. 

3.  In   the  presence   of  the  officer   sending  out  the  patrol,   repeat  the 
orders   or  instructions,   stating  his  general  plan    for   carrying  them   out, 
and  assure  himself  that  every  man  understands  them. 

4.  If  the  men  are  not  already  familiar  with  them,  explain  the  signals 
by  which  the  members  of  the  patrol  are  to  communicate  with  each  other. 
(Note:     Every  soldier  should  be  familiar  with  the  arm  and  hand  signals 
in  the   Drill   Regulations.     These  signals  have  been   adapted   for  use  in 
controlling  the  operations  of   a  patrol.     They  are   contained  in  Chapter 
X  of  "Scouting  and  Patrolling,"   a  little  book  that  every  soldier  in  the 
Army  should  have  in  his  possession  and  know  the  contents  of.)* 

5.  Impress  upon  the  members  of  the  patrol  the  necessity  for  conceal- 
ment, warn  them   about  firing  their  pieces,   and  caution  them  that  they 
must  neither  talk  nor  smoke.    This  is  not  usually  necessary  with  Regular 
troops,  but  is  one  of  the  first  things  that  should  be  impressed  upon  green 
troops  in  their  instruction  in  Minor  Tactics. 

6.  Designate  the  place  of  assembly  for  men  who  may  become  detached 

*  Published  by  the  U.   S.   Infantry  Association,   Washington,   D.    C.      Price   50  cents. 


60  Tactical  Walks 

from  the  patrol.  These  assembly  places  are  designated  from  time  to  time 
as  the  patrol  advances. 

7.  Compare  his  watch  with  that  of  the  officer  sending  out  the  patrol, 
and  designate  a  member  to  take  charge  in  case  an  accident  befalls  him. 
Sergeant  A  would  be  furnished  with  a  map  of  the  country  if  one  be 
available. 

The  Director  explains  that  all  of  this  appears  to  be  a  lengthy  process, 
but  that  when  it  is  boiled  down  to  the  essentials  it  is  really  very  simple. 
He  now  states  the  action  that  Sergeant  A  would  take  in  the  matter. 

Solution 

Assuming  that  the  members  of  the  patrol  are  formed  up  and  turned 
over  to  Sergeant  A,  he  would  order : 

"Take  off  your  packs.  Pile  them  at  the  end  of  the  stacks.  Empty  your 
pockets,  except  watch  and  compass.  Put  contents  in  your  meat  can 
pouches.  Leave  50  rounds  of  ammunition  in  your  belts.  Fall  in  here  for 
inspection." 

Having  completed  the  inspection,  Sergeant  A  states: 

"The  enemy  is  reported  advancing  from  the  direction  of  (/).  (Loca- 
tions are  explained  if  not  generally  known.)  Our  patrols  are  covering 
the  (g)  and  (h).  We  are  going  out  in  the  direction  of  (k)  to  find  out 
what  we  can  about  the  enemy.  Our  special  mission  is  to  determine  his 
strength  and  which  way  he  is  advancing.  I  will  direct  the  formation,  the 
route  and  assembly  points  as  we  go  along.  Drill  Regulations  signals  will 
be  used.  Jones,  you  will  be  second  in  command.  Messages  will  be  brought 
here.  With  ball  cartridges,  LOAD  !"  Then,  turning  to  the  Captain :  "What 
time  has  the  Captain?"  He  sets  his  watch  to  agree,  and  directs:  "All 
men  who  have  watches,  set  them  at  -  — ."  Leading  the  way,  he 
commands :  "Follow  me." 

Procedure 

Members  of  the  class  will  be  given  an  opportunity  to  ask  questions  and 
to  discuss  any  phase  of  the  situation.  They  may  be  called  upon  to  repeat 
the  orders  given  by  the  sergeant.  They  may  be  questioned  about  any 
part  of  it.  The  more  discussion  the  better.  The  next  requirement  should 
not  be  taken  up  until  the  Director  is  satisfied  that  every  man  in  the 
class  thoroughly  understands,  in  all  its  details,  the  problem  under  con- 
sideration. 


Problem  No.  4  Card  No.   1 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY. 

1.  Conduct  class  to  point  where  the  problem  is  to  start. 

2.  Hand  out   cards  containing  the  problem. 

3.  Explain  that  each  man  is  to   consider  himself  as  being   Sergeant   A. 

4.  Direct  members  of  class  to   prepare  memorandum   of  the   solution   on  their 

pads. 

5.  Read  solution   and  pass  them  back  to  members. 

6.  Take   up    solution   in    detail:    Inspection,    physical   and    equipment;    accouter- 

ments;    orders;    signals;    concealment;    assembly    place;    second    in    com- 
mand;   time   and   map. 

7.  Give  the  actual  orders  that  would  be  given  by  Sergeant  A. 

8.  Question  members  of  class.     Have  them  repeat  the  orders,   etc. 


A  Reconnoitering  Patrol  61 

Procedure 

The  class  then  proceeds  to  the  front. 

After  having  advanced  a  couple  of  hundred  yards,  the  men  are  halted. 
The  cards  bearing  the  next  situation  and  its  requirements  are  handed  out. 

The  Problem 

Situation  No.  2: 

At  this  point  is  posted  Outguard  No.  -  -  of  the  support  that  we  have 
just  left.  The  sentinel  post  is  over  there  (pointing  in  the  direction  and 
indicating  the  supposed  position  of  the  sentinel). 

Required : 

The  action  you  would  take  as  patrol  leader. 

Solution 

"What  would  you  do  if  you  were  the  patrol  leader,  Sergeant  James?" 
asks  the  Director. 

"Well,  sir,  I  would  ask  the  outguard  commander  if  he  has  seen  or 
heard  anything  about  the  enemy,"  replies  Sergeant  James. 

"What  else  would  you  do,  Corporal  Smith?" 

"I  would  tell  him  that  I  am  in  command  of  a  reconnoitering  patrol,  going 

out  in  the  direction  of ;  that  I  propose  to  advance  along " 

(indicating  the  general  line  of  march). 

"You  are  ordered  to  remain  out  until  darkness  prevents  further  recon- 
naissance. This  will  probably  bring  you  back  to  the  outpost  line  after 
dark.  What  arrangements  would  you  make  to  cover  that  contingency, 
Corporal  Blake?" 

"I  would  arrange  a  recognition  signal  with  the  outguard  commander; 
that  is,  we  would  agree  on  two  numbers,  say,  31  and  24.  As  I  approach 
the  sentinel  after  dark  I  would  signal  31  by  tapping  on  the  stock  of  my 
rifle,  and  he  would  answer  his  recognition  by  tapping  24  on  the  stock  of 
his  rifle.  Then  I  would  know  that  he  has  recognized  me,  and  I  would  be 
free  to  advance  toward  him  without  danger." 

Explanation 

The  Director  explains  that  this  procedure  is  carried  out  by  reconnoiter- 
ing patrols  going  out  to  the  front  of  an  outpost  line.  Failure  to  do  so 
leaves  the  outguard  commander  uninformed  of  the  fact  that  a  patrol  is 
operating  in  his  front,  and  may  result  in  the  patrol  commander  not  having 
up-to-the-minute  information  of  the  enemy. 

The  Director  now  explains  that  the  patrol  consists  of  Sergeant  A  and 
six  privates. 


Problem  No.  4  Card  No.  2 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY. 

1.  Conduct  class  to  front  to  supposed  location  of  an  outguard. 

2.  Hand  out  cards  bearing  Situation  No.  2. 

3.  Instruct  that  solution  will   be  made  orally. 

4.  Question  members  of  class  relative  to  solution:    (a)    Information  of  enemy. 

(&)   Direction  patrol  is  to  take.     (  c)  Arrange  for  recognition  signal. 

5.  Explanation   for  the   procedure   in   a  case  of  this  class. 


62  Tactical  Walks 

Procedure 

After  having  advanced  600  to  800  yards  to  the  front,  the  class  is  halted 
and  the  cards  bearing  Situation  No.  3  and  its  requirements  are  handed  out. 

The  Problem 

Situation  No.  3: 

You  yourself,  as  patrol  leader,  have  arrived  at  this  point.     Contact  with 
the  enemy  has  not  been  gained. 
Required: 

What  is  the  formation  of  your  patrol  at  this  moment? 

Procedure 

The  Director  will  explain  that  it  is  desired  that  each  member  of  the 
class  make  an  examination  of  the  terrain  in  the  vicinity,  get  his  place  as 
patrol  leader  definitely  located,  and  then  decide  upon  the  exact  point  where 
each  member  of  the  patrol  is  at  that  moment.  Each  man  is  instructed 
to  make  a  rough  sketch,  showing  the  disposition  decided  upon.  At  least 
15  minutes  will  be  allowed  for  this  purpose,  after  which  the  class  will 
be  assembled  and  some  of  the  members  required  to  state  orally  the  dis- 
position of  the  patrol,  using,  if  necessary,  the  sketch  that  has  been  pre- 
pared for  reference.  After  having  several  members  of  the  class  go  through 
this  process,  the  Director  will  take  up  the  subject  in  detail,  and,  applying 
the  general  principles  of  the  methods  of  advancing  a  patrol  to  the  front, 
locate  on  the  ground  the  position  of  each  member  of  the  patrol. 

Explanation 

The  Director  will  now  give  a  little  talk  on  the  subject  of  the  formation 
and  conduct  of  a  patrol: 

"It  is  impossible  to  lay  down  any  hard  and  fast  rule  for  the  conduct  of 
a  patrol.  Each  situation  has  to  be  worked  out  by  itself.  Each  solution 
will  vary  with  the  topography  of  the  country  over  which  you  are  passing. 
A  few  general  principles  may,  however,  be  enunciated. 

"The  patrol  leader,  as  he  advances  towards  his  objective,  will  mentally 
make  note  of  various  intermediate  objectives  to  serve  as  stepping  stones 
for  his  further  advance.  He  can  never  be  certain  that  he  will  not  en- 
counter the  enemy,  and  must  be  prepared  at  all  times  for  such  an  event. 

"If  the  patrol  advances  in  one  body,  a  hostile  patrol  will  allow  them 
to  approach  and  then  ambuscade  and  capture  them.  Further,  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  patrol  would  not  be  able  to  see  much  more  than  one  man. 
If  the  patrol  advances  in  an  extended  line  of  skirmishers,  capture  is 
rendered  much  more  difficult,  but  each  man  will  ,be  acting  more  or  less 
independently,  and  it  will  be  most  difficult  for  the  patrol  leader  to  control 
the  operations. 

"A  patrol  should  assume  the  general  formation  of  a  column  on  the 
march,  i.  e.,  there  is  an  advance  guard,  a  main  body,  flankers,  and  a  rear 
guard.  These  several  elements  may  be  represented  by  only  one  man,  but 
the  principle  is  exactly  the  same.  The  advance  man  is  necessary  to  give 
warning  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy.  The  flankers  are  necessary  to 
watch  towards  the  flanks  and  prevent  the  enemy  from  ambuscading  the 


A  Reconnoitering  Patrol 


63 


SUGGESTED  FORMATION  FOR    PATROLS 

6  1       6 


9 

3  Men 


9 

5  Men 


9 

6  Men 


9 

7  Ma 


&  POINT  tf  SPARE  MAN          <3  RI6HT  FLANKER 

6  LfADffi  9  GET-AWAY-MAN      fe  LEFT  FLANKER 


patrol  or  working  around  its  rear  unobserved  and  cutting  off  its. line  of 
retreat.  The  main  body  is  necessary  to  back  up  the  advance  man  and 
protect  him.  The  rear  man  is  the  'get-away  man/  so  that  in  case  the 
patrol  is  fired  into  or  captured,  at  least  one  man  will  have  a  good  chance 
to  escape  and  carry  the  news  back  to  the  support  commander.  It  must 
always  be  remembered  that  a  patrol  that  goes  out  and  does  not  return, 
or  is  not  heard  from  in  a  reasonable  time,  causes  great  uneasiness  and 
apprehension  back  at  the  outpost  line. 

"This  plate  from  'Scouting  and  Patrolling*  is  here  inserted  for  your 
information.  See  the  suggested  formation  of  a  patrol  of  a  leader  and 
six  men.  This  formation  facilitates  communication.  The  following  para- 
graph is  quoted  from  that  book: 

"The  ordinary  communication  between  the  patrol  leader  and  the  mem- 
bers of  his  patrol  is  accomplished  by  means  of  signals.  No  formation, 
however,  is  entirely  satisfactory  which  does  not  provide  for  verbal  com- 
munication between  the  two.  Thus  far  no  set  of  signals  has  been  devised 
that  will  convey  the  details  of  information,  and  it  is  often  in  the  details 
that  the  importance  lies.  In  case  the  detached  scout  has  information  that 
he  desires  to  impart  to  the  patrol  commander  he  signals :  'Have  important 
information*  (see  Chapter  X,  'Scouting  and  Patrolling'*),  in  which  case 

*  It  will  facilitate  the  conduct  of  your  Tactical  Walks  to  have  your  non-commissioned 
officers  study  this  book.  There  is  much  in  it  that  will  interest  them. 


64  Tactical  Walks 

the  patrol  commander  either  joins  the  scout  to  make  observations  for  him- 
self or  sends  one  of  his  spare  men  to  relieve  the  scout  in  order  that  he 
may  come  in  and  make  a  verbal  report.  The  scout  then  becomes  a  spare 
man  until  it  is  necessary  for  him  to  go  out  to  the  relief  of  another  scout. 
This  method  gives  communication  throughout  the  patrol  at  all  times  at 
a  great  saving  of  time  and  effort." 

"Some  authorities  advocate  that  the  patrol  commander  march  as  the 
advance  man  of  the  patrol.  This  is  not  believed  to  be  good  tactics.  He 
should  be  centrally  located  so  that  he  will  be  able  to  control  the  opera- 
tions of  the  patrol.  The  patrol  leader  has  been  selected  for  this  par- 
ticular line  of  work.  The  officer  who  sent  him  out  is  depending  on  him 
to  carry  out  the  mission  upon  which  he  has  been  sent  and  to  £et  informa- 
tion back.  He  should  not,  therefore,  needlessly  make  himself  a  target  for 
the  enemy  marksman  who  may  be  lying  in  concealment  at  the  turn  of  a 
road  or  trail.  If  he  is  the  leading  man  he  will  be  so  busily  occupied  with 
the  task  of  observation,  that  he  will  have  little  time  available  for  con- 
ducting the  operations  of  the  other  members  of  the  patrol.  Furthermore, 
if  anything  happens  at  the  front  that  needs  his  attention,  he  can  go  there 
in  a  very  short  space  of  time. 

"When  a  small  patrol  is  advancing  along  a  road  which  is  more  or  less 
winding  and  has  brush  and  trees  along  the  side,  it  is  believed  that  the 
Boni  Point  formation  will  usually  meet  the  requirements.  In  this  forma- 
tion the  leading  man  walks  along  one  side  of  the  road,  close  up  to  the 
brush.  The  next  man  follows  him  at  a  distance  cf  about  25  yards  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  road.  The  remaining  men  follow  at  varying  distances 
on  alternate  sides  of  the  road.  The  rear  or  get-away  man  should  march 
at  least  75  yards  in  rear  of  his  next  preceding  man.  Flankers  are  sent 
out  when  necessary  and  where  it  is  possible  to  do  so. 

"You  will  be  surprised  to  see  how  admirably  this  formation  will  meet 
the  situation  under  the  conditions  stated.  The  next  time  you  are  out  on 
a  winding  road  through  the  woods,  step  over  to  one  side  and  observe  to 
the  front.  Then  go  to  the  other  side  and  repeat  the  operation.  You  will 
find  that  from  one  side  your  view  will  be  very  much  restricted,  while 
from  the  opposite  side  it  will  be  much  more  extended.  One  trial  will  con- 
vince you  of  the  suitability  of  this  formation." 

The  Director  requires  the  men  to  make  a  test  of  this  proposition  at 
some  point  along  the  route  suitable  for  it,  if  one  exists. 

Procedure 

Having  brought  out  all  the  points  involved  in  the  formation  of  a  patrol, 
the  Director  requires  several  of  the  men  to  state  exactly  where  each  man 
of  the  patrol  would  be  at  the  time  in  question.  By  pertinent  questions, 
the  reasons  for  so  placing  the  men  can  be  brought  out  and  a  reasonable 
solution  arrived  at.  The  Director  will  caution  the  members  of  the  class 
to  observe  the  terrain  as  they  proceed,  and  bring  up  for  consideration  any 
question  that  they  may  ^desire. 

When  the  class  has  advanced  several  hundred  yards  to  the  front,  the 
cards  bearing  the  next  situation  and  its  requirement  are  handed  out. 


A  Reconnoitering  Patrol  55 


Problem  No.  4  Card  No.  3 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 


1.  Conduct  class  some  600  to  800  yards  to  the  front. 

2.  Hand  out   cards  bearing   Situation   No.    3. 


pacroi;    TIOW    accomplished.      \cj    ran 
marches.     (/)    Boni  Point  formation. 

5.  Test  Boni  Point  formation. 

6.  Arrive  at  solution  and  point  out  position  of  each  man  of  the  patrol. 


The  Problem 

Situation  No.  4: 

As  a  patrol  leader,  you  have  arrived  at  this  point.  You  observe  that 
your  leading  man  has  halted  and  is  holding  his  rifle  horizontally  above  his 
head,  indicating  that  he  has  observed  the  enemy  in  small  force.  You 
join  him  and  discover  a  detachment  of  several  dismounted  men  of  the 
enemy  advancing  down  the  road  in  patrol  formation.  They  apparently 
have  not  observed  you.  They  are  now  at  that  point  (the  Director  indicates 
to  the  members  of  the  class  the  exact  point  where  the  enemy's  patrol  is 
supposed  to  be  at  this  time). 
Required : 

What  action  do  you  take  ? 

Procedure 

The  Director  allows  a  few  minutes  for  the  members  of  the  class  to 
look  over  the  situation,  and  inquires  if  there  are  any  questions  that  anyone 
desires  to  ask.  All  points  of  the  situation  that  are  not  clearly  understood 
should  be  made  plain  at  this  time. 

The  Director  will  decide  upon  and  point  out  the  position  of  each  member 
of  the  patrol  at  this  moment,  so  that  all  members  of  the  class  will  solve 
the  problem  on  the  same  assumption. 

The  men  are  then  instructed  to  make  an  examination  of  the  ground 
and  make  a  memorandum  on  their  pads,  showing  just  what  they  would 
do  under  the  circumstances.  Ten  to  fifteen  minutes  are  usually  sufficient 
for  this  purpose. 

The  ground  for  this  situation  should  be  selected  at  a  point  not  too  far 
from  the  road  where  there  is  some  cover  available  for  the  patrol. 

Explanation 

The  Director  explains : 

"Some  pretty  definite  rules  can  be  laid  down  to  cover  a  situation  of 
this  kind,  but  at  the  same  time  there  are  tactical  questions  involved  on 
which  no  specific  rules  can  be  given. 

"This  is  a  reconnoitering  patrol.  Its  mission  is  to  get  information  of 
the  enemy's  strength  and  his  line  of  advance.  The  first  question  that  will 
present  itself  to  the  patrol  leader  is  whether  he  will  endeavor  to  capture 
the  hostile  patrol  or  whether  he  will  avoid  it.  The  capture  of  an  entire 
patrol  that  is  advancing  in  proper  formation  is  a  most  difficult  operation. 


00  Tactical  Walks 

One  may  almost  say  that  it  cannot  be  accomplished  without  firing.  The 
noise  thus  created  will  doubtless  be  heard  by  the  enemy,  and  he  will  take 
further  precautions  by  sending  out  stronger  covering  detachments,  and 
thus  create  a  screen  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  our  small  patrol  to 
break  through.  This  hostile  patrol  has  not  yet  gained  any  information 
worth  while,  and  the  combat  patrols  that  will  be  sent  out  from  our  outpost 
will  delay  their  operations  considerably.  The  decision  on  this  point  will 
then  be  'to  avoid  the  enemy's  patrol  and  let  it  proceed  unmolested,  if  it 
will  do  so/ 

"The  patrol  leader  will  next  have  to  consider  the  question  as  to  whether 
or  not  he  will  attempt!  to  get  information  back  to  the  support  commander 
to  the  effect  that  he  has  observed  the  enemy's  patrol  and  that  they  are 
advancing  towards  the  outpost  line.  This  is  only  a  small  detachment  of 
the  enemy.  It  may  be  a  reconnoitering  patrol  out  on  the  same  mission 
on  which  our  patrol  is  engaged.  It  may  be  the  point  of  the  advance  guard 
of  a  column  advancing  towards  the  outpost.  It  may  be  a  combat  patrol 
covering  the  enemy's  outpost  line.  At  this  moment  its  character  cannot 
be  definitely  determined.  If  it  is  a  reconnoitering  patrol,  our  own  combat 
patrols  should  be  able  to  prevent  its  securing  any  information  of  value 
regarding  our  outpost  line.  If  it  is  the  advance  element  of  a  column  on 
the  march,  that  fact  will  be  disclosed  in  a  very  few  minutes,  in  which 
case  our  reconnoitering  patrol  will  probably  change  its  character  to  that 
of  a  combat  patrol  and  do  all  in  its  power  to  delay  the  advance  and  by 
firing  give  warning  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy.  If  it  is  a  combat  patrol 
and  discovers  our  patrol,  it  will  endeavor  to  drive  it  back,  and  the  firing 
will  give  the  alarm  to  our  outposts.  Any  information  that  our  patrol  could 
send  back  at  this  time  would  be  of  little,  if  any,  value.  The  decision  is, 
therefore,  that  'no  message  will  be  sent  back  until  something  more  definite 
is  learned/  " 

Solution 

After  the  class  has  had  an  opportunity  to  study  the  situation,  the  Director 
selects  a  member  and  inquires  of  him,  "Sergeant  Hughes,  what  would 
you  do  under  the  circumstances?"  After  the  sergeant  has  given  his  ideas, 
then  another  member  is  asked,  "Corporal  Smith,  what  do  you  think  of 
that  solution  of  the  problem?"  and  so  on  until  it  is  fixed  in  the  minds  of 
the  men  just  what  they  ought  to  do.  During  this  discussion  the  Director 
should  ask  questions  to  bring  out  the  principles  hereinbefore  enunciated,  and 
should  explain  to  the  men  why  the  action  taken  is  decided  upon. 

Explanation 

Having  decided  to  avoid  the  enemy's  patrol,  we  now  take  up  the  question 
as  to  just  exactly  how  this  is  to  be  done.  The  Director  will  question  the 
men  and  get  their  ideas  on  the  subject.  He  will  receive  evasive  answers. 
He  will  have  answers  that  are  radically  wrong.  He  will  have  answers 
that  are  good  and  show  great  resourcefulness.  He  must  try  to  impress 
the  men  with  the  fact  that  the  situation  is  as  stated  in  the  problem,  and 
that  they  must  draw  upon  their  imagination  to  see  the  disposition  of  our 
patrol  and  that  of  the  enemy.  Here  is  a  real  situation.  How  are  you 
going  to  meet  it?  How  would  you  meet  it  if  that  patrol  out  in  front 
were  real  and  had  real  rifles  with  real  bullets  in  their  cartridges?  The 


A  Reconnoitering  Patrol  67 

chances  are  that  the  untrained  man  would  follow  the  line  of  least  resistance 
and  fall  back  on  the  outpost  line  or  open  fire  on  the  patrol. 

We  must  give  the  enemy's  patrol  credit  for  being  on  the  alert  and  for 
having  such  a  knowledge  of  tactics  that  he  will  do  the  reasonably  proper 
thing.  If  he  sees  one  member  of  our  patrol,  the  difficulty  of  avoiding  him 
will  be  doubly  increased.  Our  task,  then,  is  to  get  to  cover  as  quickly  as 
possible.  It  is  this  seemingly  trivial  action  that  sometimes  calls  for  all  the 
ingenuity  that  the  patrol  leader  may  possess.  The  road  may  be  open  for 
a  considerable  distance,  so  that  if  one  of  the  members  of  our  patrol  tries 
to  cross  from  one  side  to  the  other  he  will  be  seen  and  the  position  dis- 
closed to  the  enemy.  It  may  be  necessary  for  the  patrol  to  fall  back  a 
short  distance  in  order  to  secure  the  necessary  cover.  It  may  be  neces- 
sary, in  order  to  avoid  discovery,  to  direct  all  men  on  one  side  of  the 
road  to  take  cover  on  their  side  and  the  remainder  to  seek  cover  on  the 
opposite  side.  In  this  event,  instructions  as  to  where  the  patrol  will  get 
together  again  will  have  to  be  given.  Meanwhile,  the  enemy's  patrol  is 
advancing  down  the  road.  The  Director  will  point  out  to  the  class  and 
dwell  upon  the;  principle  that,  having  decided  to  avoid  the  enemy's  patrol, 
the  all-absorbing  duty  of  the  patrol  leader  is  to  conceal  his  patrol  so  that 
the  enemy  will  have  no  information  that  it  is  anywhere  in  the  vicinity. 
The  measures  to  be  taken  to  accomplish  this  will  then  be  worked  out  in 
the  minutest  detail. 

Having  decided  upon  the  steps  necessary  to  be  taken  to  avoid  the  enemy's 
patrol,  the  Director  will  next  take  up  the  subject  as  to  whether  or  not  a 
message  is  to  be  sent  back  at  this  time.  Explain  the  principles  hereinbefore 
stated.  This  is  an  excellent  opportunity  for  you  to  make  a  short  talk  on 
the  subject  of  messages  in  general,  and  under  the  circumstances  of  this 
situation  in  particular.  If  any  member  of  the  class  insists  that  a  message 
should  be  sent,  have  him  write  it ;  then  take  his  message  and  imagine  your- 
self the  support  commander,  who  has  received  it.  Ask  yourself  if  there  is 
anything  in  it  that  will  materially  assist  you  in  the  defense  of  the  outpost 
line.  Do  not  hold  up  the  message  to  ridicule,  no  matter  how  bad  it  may 
be,  but  dissect  it  and  show  the  men,  if  such  be  the  case,  that  there  is 
nothing  of  importance  in  it — nothing  that  would  assist  the  support  com- 
mander in  concealing  or  defending  his  outpost  line.  If  it  be  found  on  a 
critical  examination  that  there  is  information  of  importance,  do  not  hesi- 
tate to  say  so.  Give  a  man  credit  for  every  reasonable  idea  that  he  is 
able  to  produce. 

Having  exhausted  the  subject  of  the  gaining  of  contact  with  the  enemy 
and  the  question  of  messages  under  the  circumstances  stated  in  this  situa- 
tion, the  class  again  advances  to  the  front. 


68  Tactical  Walks 


Problem  No.  4  Card  No.  4 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY. 

1.  Conduct   class  several   hundred  yards  to  the  front. 

2.  Hand  out  cards  bearing  the  Situation  No.  4. 

3.  Point  out  the  position  of  each  member  of  the  patrol. 

4.  Make  memorandum  of  solution  on  pads. 

ing  patrol,    (c)   Difficulties  incident  to  capture  of  an  enemy's  patrol,      (d) 

5.  Talk  by  the  Director:    (a)    Character  of  patrol,     (b)    Duties  of  reconnoiter- 

Question  of  sending  back  a  message,      (e)   Character  of  enemy's  force. 

6.  Ask  questions  to  bring  out  all   points  of  the   situation. 

7.  Decision  to  avoid  enemy's  patrol.      No  message   to  be  sent  back. 

8.  Ask  questions   on  measures  taken   to  avoid  enemy  force. 

9.  Action  taken  to  get   members  of   the  patrol  under  cover. 
10.  Talk  on  the  subject  of  military  messages. 


The  class  is  now  conducted  about  a  hundred  yards  to  the  front,  where 
Situation  No.  5  is  handed  out. 

The  Problem 
Situation  No.  5: 

The  patrol  successfully  evaded  the  enemy's  patrol,  which  marched  down 
the  road  towards  the  outpost  line.  The  patrol  has  been  assembled  and  is 
continuing  its  advance  to  the  front.  On  arriving  at  this  point  you  observe 
a  force  of  the  enemy  marching  into  that  cleared  field  (the  Director  in- 
dicates). They  are  apparently  going  into  bivouac.  Small  detachments, 
which  you  estimate  to  be  outpost  troops,  are  being  pushed  out  in  your 
direction.  You  estimate  the  enemy's  force  to  be  a  regiment  of  infantry. 
At  this  moment  you  hear  firing  to  your  rear,  in  the  direction  of  your 
outpost  line. 
Required : 

What  action  do  you  take? 

Procedure 

The  assumed  location  of  the  enemy  should  be  from  1,200  yards  to  one 
mile  distant  from  the  point  where  the  patrol  is  halted.  It  may  be  straight 
to  the  front  or  it  may  be  in  an  oblique  direction.  The  disposition  of  the 
patrol  should  be  again  pointed  out,  so  that  each  member  of  the  class  will 
make  his  solution  on  the  same  basis. 

About  ten  minutes  should  be  allowed  for  the  men  to  study  the  situation 
and  get  it  firmly  fixed  in  their  minds.  The  Director  then,  as  before  ex- 
plained, proceeds  to  question  the  men  as  to  the  action  that  they  would 
take.  The  subject  will  be  taken  up  in  the  following  sequence: 

Solution 

1.  The  disposition  of  the  members  of  the  patrol : 

(a)  For  observation  of  the  enemy. 

(b)  To  prevent  surprise. 

2.  The  advisability  of  sending  back  a  message. 

3.  The  contents  of  the  message. 

4.  The  precautions  to  be  taken  to  insure  the  delivery  of  the  message. 

5.  The  significance  of  the  firing  to  the  rear. 


A  Reconnoitering  Patrol  69 

6.  Precautions  to  be  taken  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  receiving  mes- 
sages from  his  patrol. 

When  the  patrol  has  encountered  the  enemy,  the  disposition  must  be 
such  as  to  permit  the  leader  to  observe  the  hostile  force  for  the  purpose 
of  forming  an  estimate  of  its  strength  and  composition,  dispositions,  and 
probable  intentions.  With  this  end  in  view,  the  leader  must  get  to  a 
vantage  point  from  which  he  may  obtain  a  good  view  of  the  enemy.  The 
remaining  members  of  the  patrol  must  be  so  disposed  as  to  guard  all  the 
avenues  of  approach  from  the  known  direction  of  the  enemy's  forces,  in 
order  to  prevent  surprise.  Having  in  mind  these  points,  this  phase  of 
the  situation  will  be  worked  out  in  detail  on  the  ground  and  a  solution 
arrived  at. 

The  next  question  for  consideration  is  whether  or  not  a  message  should 
be  sent  back.  This  is  the  first  force  of  hostile  troops  of  any  consequence 
that  the  patrol  has  observed,  and,  although  it  is  apparently  one  regiment 
of  infantry,  it  may  be  only  a  detachment  of  a  much  larger  force.  Other 
patrols  may  locate  other  forces  of  the  enemy,  and  from  all  the  reports 
sent  in  to  the  several  supports  of  the  outpost  and  transmitted  by  the  com- 
manders thereof  to  the  commander  of  the  main  body  a  pretty  clear  esti- 
mate of  the  strength  and  composition  of  the  whole  force  may  be  arrived 
at.  It  is  therefore  important  that  a  message  be  sent  back. 

Procedure 

The  contents  of  the  message  will  now  engage  your  consideration.  You 
will  require  the  members  of  the  class  to  sit  down  and  each  write  out  the 
message  that  he  would  send. 

After  all  of  the  men  have  written  their  messages,  collect  them  and  read 
a  few  at  random.  Then  pass  them  around  to  the  members  of  the  class, 
being  particular  to  see  that  no  man  gets  his  own  message.  By  following 
this  scheme  the  men  are  kept  on  their  mettle  through  knowledge  of  the 
fact  that  their  work  is  being  viseed  by  their  comrades. 

Now  take  up  the  message  in  detail.  Call  attention  to  the  requirement 
that  the  heading  of  the  message  should  be  carefully  filled  in  with  all  the 
data  required,  especially  the  location  from  which  the  message  is  sent,  and 
that  it  must  be  clear  and  concise.  The  address  to  which  the  message  is 
sent  should  be  clear  and  unmistakable.  The  body  will  contain  the  informa- 
tion gained  regarding  the  enemy,  together  with  a  statement  of  the  patrol 
commander's  future  intentions.*  In  this  case  the  body  of  the  message 
would  probably  read  as  follows : 

Solution 

"Have  observed  a  force  of  the  enemy,  estimated  as  a  regiment  of  in- 
fantry, going  into  bivouac  at  (here  give  concise  location  of  the 

place  where  the  enemy  is  bivouacking).    His  outposts  are  being  established 
along  the  —  -  (describing  as  accurately  as  possible  where  the  outposts 

are  being  established).     A  hostile  patrol  of  -       -  men  passed  my  patrol 
at and  advanced  in  the  direction  of  your  outpost  line.    I  will  re- 

*  See  Chapter  IX,  "Scouting  and  Patrolling,"  for  a  complete  treatment  of  the  sub- 
ject of  military  messages. 


70  Tactical  Walks 

main  here  in  observation  until  forced  to  retire  or  darkness  prevents  further 
reconnaissance." 

The  Director  will  work  out  this  message  word  by  word,  impress  all  the 
elements  on  the  men,  and  after  a  full  discussion  of  the  subject  pass  on 
to  the  next  requirement. 

Addressing  a  member  of  the  class,  the  director  propounds  the  question, 
"Sergeant  Black,  how  would  you  get  this  message  back  to  the  support 
commander?"  After  receiving  the  sergeant's  solution,  "Corporal  Jones, 
what  precautions  do  you  think  should  be  taken  to  insure  the  delivery  of  the 
message?"  Then  to  another:  "Corporal  Whyte,  what  do  you  think  of 
that  solution  of  the  problem?"  After  having  gotten  the  ideas  of  several 
of  the  men,  the  Director  will  take  up  the  subject  of  the  transmission  of 
messages  by  messenger. 

Explanation 

It  is  well  known  that  there  is  at  least  one  patrol  of  the  enemy  operating 
in  the  country  lying  between  the  point  where  the  patrol  is  halted  and  the 
outpost  line.  There  may  be  others  who  have  eluded  our  patrol.  If  the 
latter  be  the  case,  they  will  be  on  the  lookout  to  prevent  any  information 
from  our  patrol  getting  back  to  our  outposts,  so  that  extraordinary  pre- 
cautions will  have  to  be  taken  by  the  messenger  in  order  to  insure  the 
delivery  of  the  message.  Under  the  circumstances,  it  is  thought  that  the 
message  should  be  sent  back  by  at  least  two  messengers  along  different 
routes.  They  will  be  given  the  general  direction  that  each  is  to  follow. 
They  will  be  apprised  of  the  contents  of  the  message  and  impressed  with 
the  importance  of  the  information  contained  therein  and  with  the  necessity 
for  taking  precautions  to  insure  its  delivery.* 

After  having  exhausted  this  subject  and  arrived  at  a  decision  to  send  the 
message  back  by  two  messengers,  the  director  will  proceed  to  the  next 
phase  of  the  requirement,  which  involves  a  discussion  of  the  significance 
of  the  firing  to  the  rear.  This  will  be  brought  out  by  questioning  mem- 
bers of  the  class  to  get  their  ideas  of  what  is  going  on  and  will  be  fol- 
lowed by  a  short  talk  on  the  employment  of  combat  patrols  sent  out  from 
the  outpost  to  beat  off  small  patrols  and  keep  them  from  developing  the 
position. 

The  next  requirement  of  the  problem  involves  the  subject  of  just  what 
precautions  the  patrol  leader  will  take  to  prevent  members  of  the  enemy's 
patrol  from  getting  back  to  their  own  force  with  information.  Proceed 
along  the  same  line  of  questioning  as  heretofore  indicated.  Follow  this 
with  a  thorough  discussion  of  just  what  you  would  do.  Do  not  deal  in 
glittering  generalities,  but  pin  the  men  down  to  a  statement  of  just  what 
they  would  do. 

If  only  the  one  patrol  is  operating  in  our  rear  and  our  patrol  has  not 
been  seen  by  any  of  the  enemy,  it  is  pretty  safe  to  estimate  that  any 
messenger  will  take  the  line  of  least  resistance  and  follow  the  road  pretty 
closely  in  going  back  to  his  own  troops.  On  the  other  hand,  if  another 
patrol  of  the  enemy  has  eluded  our  patrol  and  knows  that  it  is  in  its  rear, 


*  An  entire  tactical   talk  may   be  devised  and  conducted  on  this   simple  problem  of 
getting   a  message   back   from    the   patrol   to    the   outpost.      By   throwing  a   number   of 
obstacles  in  the  way  of  the  messenger,   it  can  be  made  most  interesting. 


A  Reconnoitering  Patrol  71 

it  will  avoid  the  main  avenues  and  endeavor  to  get  messages  back  by 
making  use  of  all  available  cover. 

As  far  as  possible,  the  patrol  leader  will  dispose  his  men  so  as  to  cover 
all  avenues  of  approach  from  the  enemy's  bivouac.  The  direction  of  the 
firing  that  has  been  heard  will  serve  somewhat  as  a  guide  as  to  the  scope 
of  the  operations  of  the  enemy's  patrol.  Just  where  the  men  will  be  sta- 
tioned for  observation,  will  have  to  be  determined  from  the  lay  of  the 
ground  and  will  have  to  be  worked  out  in  detail  on  the  ground  itself. 


Problem  No.  4  Card  No.  5 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY. 

1.  Hand  out  cards  bearing  Situation  No.    5. 

2.  Point  out  location  of  patrol  and   enemy. 

3.  Make    memorandum    of    the    solution. 

4.  Sequence  of  the  solution: 

(1)  Dispositions  of  patrol:    (a)    For  observation   of  enemy,     (b)   To   pre- 
vent surprise. 

(2)  Advisability   of   sending  back    a   message. 

(3)  Contents   of  message. 

(4)  Precautions  to   be   taken  to    insure   the   delivery   of  the   message. 

(5)  Significance   of  firing  to   rear. 

(6)  Precautions   to   be   taken   to   prevent    the    enemy   receiving  messages 
from  his  patrol. 

3.  Discuss  contents   and   have   members   of   the    class   write   out   messages   that 
would   be   sent   back. 


The  class  will  now  pass  on  to  the  next  situation  and  requirement : 
The  Problem 

Situation  No.  6: 

You  are  still  observing  the  enemy.  Nothing  has  happened  to  cause  you 
to  change  your  estimate  of  his  strength  and  composition.  His  outposts 
are  being  established,  and  he  is  pushing  out  patrols  to  his  front  and  flanks. 
Your  position  is  rapidly  becoming  untenable.  The  firing  to  your  rear  has 
diminished  until  there  is  only  a  shot  now-  and  then.  The  sentinel  you 
have  posted  to  watch  the  road  (the  director  indicates  position)  signals 
"enemy  in  sight  in  small  numbers"  and  points  in  the  direction  of  the  road. 
Required : 

What  action  do  you  take? 

Procedure 

The  director  will  proceed  with  the  solution  as  hereinbefore  indicated  by 
questioning  the  members  of  the  class  and  in  a  discussion  of  the  situation 
bring  out  the  following  points : 

Explanation 

The  patrol  leader  has  accomplished  his  mission,  in  so  far  as  the  main 
body  of  the  enemy  is  concerned.  He  has  located  his  .bivouac,  where  he 
apparently  intends  to  spend  the  night.  He  has  seen  his  outpost  established. 
He  has  ascertained  his  strength  and  composition.  The  advance  of  hostile 
patrols  is  rendering  his  present  position  untenable.  It  would  be  of  little 
advantage  for  him  to  attempt  to  remain  out  so  far  to  the  front  and  take 


Tactical  Walks 

the  chances  of  being  surrounded  and  captured  by  superior  numbers.  The 
signal  from  the  sentinel  watching  the  road  indicates  that  a  part  of  the 
hostile  patrol  is  advancing  towards  him,  and  it  is  probable  that  they  are 
bearing  a  message  giving  information  of  our  own  forces  that  will  be  of 
great  value  to  the  enemy. 

After  having  brought  out  these  points,  the  director  announces  the  fol- 
lowing decision : 

1.  Leave  one  man  with  orders  to  observe  the  enemy  and  the  advance  of 
his  patrols,  and  when  compelled  to  do  so,  to  fall  back  on  th'e  main  body 
of  the  patrol. 

2.  Signal  the  other  members  of  the  patrol  that  the  enemy  is  in  sight 
and  point  in  his  direction.     Signal  them  to  fall  back  and  conform  to  the 
movements  of  the  leader. 

3.  Take  the  remaining  members  of  the  patrol,  if  there  be  any,  and  join 
the  man  who  signaled  "enemy  in  sight." 

The  director  will  explain  how  these  signals  may  be  given.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  class  will  be  required  to  work  out  the  details  of  the  route 
by  which  the  patrol  leader  will  join  the  sentinel  observing  the  road  and 
will  conduct  the  class  to  the  point  assumed  to  be  occupied  by  the  sentinel, 
where  the  next  situation  is  given  out: 


Problem  No.  4  Card  No.  6 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Hand  out   Situation   No.   6. 

2.  Make   memorandum   of   solution   on   pads. 

3.  In   discussion   bring  out   following   points:      (a)    Accomplishment   of   mission. 

(b)    Little   advantage  in  remaining  out  longer,     (c)    Enemy   approaching. 

4.  Decision:     (a)    One  man  observe   enemy.     (£>)    Signal  members   of   patrol   to 

assemble,     (c)    Join   sentinel    who   signaled   enemy  in   sight. 

5.  Work  out  details  of  situation. 


The  Problem 

Situation  No.  7: 

You  and  one  other  member  of  your  patrol  have  joined  the  sentinel  watch- 
ing the  road.  He  points  out  the  enemy  he  has  observed.  On  examination, 
you  find  that  the  two  men  of  the  enemy  are  advancing  at  a  rapid  walk. 
one  on  each  side  of  the  road,  with  a  distance  of  about  50  yards  between 
them.  They  are  about  600  yards  distant  at  this  time. 
Required : 

What  action  do  you  take? 

Procedure 

The  director  will  question  members  of  the  class  to  get  their  ideas  of 
the  measures  necessary  to  meet  the  situation.  The  points  to  be  brought 
out  are  that  the  men  are  probably  carrying  back  important  information  to 
their  own  commander.  To  prevent  the  accomplishment  of  this  mission 
now  becomes  the  supreme  duty  of  the  patrol  commander.  In  other  words, 
the  two  men  must  be  captured.  The  method  of  accomplishing  this  must 
be  worked  out  on  the  ground.  In  this  case,  it  is  desirable  to  effect  the 


A  Reconnoitering  Patrol  73 

capture  at  as  great  a  distance  as  possible  from  the  patrols  that  are  being 
pushed  out  from  the  enemy's  main  body.  Our  patrol  leader  will  advance 
down  the  road  under  cover  as  far  as  possible  before  holding  up  the  two 
men.  He  should  be  able  to  reach  a  point  at  least  200  yards  further  down 
the  road.  If  practicable,  the  capture  should  be  effected  without  firing  to 
avoid  giving  warning  to  the  enemy's  patrol  operating  in  the  direction  of 
our  outpost  as  they  would  otherwise  infer  that  their  messengers  are  in 
difficulties  and  would  probably  send  back  another  message  by  a  different 
route.  Furthermore,  firing  at  this  time  would  give  the  alarm  to  the  hostile 
patrols  operating  from  the  main  body,  and  they  would  rush  to  the  rescue 
of  their  comrades. 

It  is  a  general  rule  in  the  attempt  to  capture  members  of  a  patrol  that 
the  situation  we  desire  to  produce  when  we  meet  them,  is  that  they  should 
be  marching  and  that  we  should  be  halted.  By  adopting  this  method,  we 
form  an  ambuscade.  In  this  particular  case,  the  patrol  leader  will  gain  a 
point  where  his  two  men  will  be  stationed  alongside  of  the  road  about  50 
yards  apart  so  that  the  two  scouts  of  the  enemy  can  be  held  up  simul- 
taneously and  compelled  to  surrender. 


Problem  No.  4  Card  No.  7 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Hand    out    Situation    No.    7. 

2.  Make   memorandum    of  solution. 

3.  Arrangements  for  capturing  enemy  messengers:    (o)    Discuss  mission  of  mes- 

sengers.    (£»)    Undesirability    of   firing,     (c)    Dispositions   for   capture. 


The  situations  herein  stated,  if  worked  out  in  detail,  will  consume  a 
full  afternoon  and  will  be  about  all  the  average  man  will  be  able  to  assim- 
ilate at  one  session. 


TACTICAL  WALK  No.  5 

A  VISITING  PATROL 

The  tactical  situation  is  based  oft  that  given  in  Problem  No.  3  (Outpost). 

The  Director  conducts  the  classes  to  the  position  of  the  support.  (See 
(n)  of  Problem  No.  3.)  He  goes  over  the  general  and  special  situations 
and  gives  a  brief  review  of  the  tactical  dispositions  of  the  outpost  as 
decided  upon  in  Tactical  Walk  No.  3.  He  then  hands  out  the  cards 
bearing  the  following  situation: 

The  Problem 

Situation  No.  1: 

It  is  8.55  at  night.    The  obscurity  is  only  such  that  one  man  may  readily 
see  another  at  a  distance  of  12  paces.    You,  Corporal  H,  with  your  squad, 
have  been  detailed  to  furnish  the  reliefs  for  and  conduct  the  visiting  patrols 
until  midnight.    You  make  the  rounds  on  the  odd  hours. 
Required : 

What  action  do  you  take  ? 

Explanation 

After  allowing  the  members  of  the  class  to  get  themselves  oriented  and 
familiar  with  the  situation  the  Director  explains  that  a  Visiting  Patrol 
consists  of  a  noncommissioned  officer  and  from  one  to  three  men.  They 
are  sent  out  from  the  support  or  picket  at  intervals  during  the  night  to 
keep  up  communication  between  the  elements  of  the  outpost.  In  its  rounds 
the  patrol  normally  touches  upon  the  nearest  sentinel  of  the  support  on 
the  right  (or  left),  then  passes  along  the  line  of  its  own  sentinels  to  the 
nearest  sentinel  of  the  support  to  the  left  (or  right  and  returns  to  its  own 
support. 

The  visiting  patrol  is  essentially  a  night  institution.  It  is  not  ordinarily 
required  by  day.  The  noncommissioned  officer  desginated  for  the  patrol 
leader  should,  however,  go  over  by  day  the  route  he  proposes  to  take  at 
night.  Included  in  the  duties  of  visiting  patrols  may  be  enumerated: 

1.  They  bring  back  information  of  incidents  that  may  occur  along  the 
line  of  observation  and  form  a  medium  of  exchange  of  information  between 
the  various  elements  of  the  outpost. 

2.  In  a  measure  they  prevent  the  unobserved  approach  of  the  enemy 
between  sentinel  posts.    When  the  enemy  is  very  active  there  is  constant 
patrolling  between  the  observation  posts. 

3.  They  drive  off  small  patrols. 

4.  They  take  charge  of  detained  persons  and  conduct  them  back  to  the 
support. 

Solution 

The  Director  now  proceeds  with  the  solution  of  the  problem :  "Corporal 
Wilson,  what  would  you  be  doing  at  this  time?"  After  getting  Corporal 
Wilson's  answer,  he  may  ask:  "Corporal  White,  do  you  agree  with  Cor- 


A  Visiting  Patrol 

poral  Wilson?"  The  point  to  be  brought  out  is  that  Corporal  H  would 
be  getting  the  members  of  his  patrol  ready  to  start  out  on  the  9  o'clock 
round. 

"Sergeant  James,  how  many  men  would  you  take  with  you  on  this 
patrol?"  Then,  to  Corporal  Blank:  "How  many  would  you  take?"  It 
will  be  explained  that  no  more  men  than  are  necessary  should  be  taken. 

The  Director  brings  out  the  procedure  followed  in  preparing  the  patrol 
to  go  out,  dwelling  especially  on  the  equipment  that  they  will  take  with 
them.  He  finally  arrives  at  a  point  where  he  may  state  exactly  the  words 
that  Corporal  H  employs. 

Say  Corporal  H  decides  to  take  two  men  with  him.  He  wakes  the 
two  men  whose  turn  it  is  to  go  out  and  instructs  them  as  follows : 

"Privates  C  and  D,  it  is  time  to  make  our  9  o'clock  patrol.  You  have 
five  minutes.  We  will  take  rifle  and  belts.  Fix  bayonets.  Leave  your 
canteens  and  bayonet  scabbards  here.  Fall  in  for  inspection  in  three 
minutes." 

After  inspecting  the  men  and  being  sure  that  his  own  equipment  is  com- 
plete, he  commands :  "With  ball  cartridges,  Load." 

The  members  of  the  visiting  patrol  travel  light.  They  do  not  want  to 
be  hampered  with  any  more  equipment  than  is  necessary.  Above  all,  they 
do  not  want  anything  about  them  that  will  rattle  and  make  a  noise.  They 
leave  the  canteen  and  bayonet  scabbard  at  the  post  of  the  support  because 
on  this  short  march  they  will  not  need  any  water  and  the  bayonet  scabbard 
would  be  dangling  between  the  legs  if  it  were  fastened  to  the  belt.  They 
fix  their  bayonets  so  as  to  have  them  ready  for  hand-to-hand  fighting  in 
case  it  becomes  necessary.  A  great  deal  of  night  work  will  be  done  with 
the  bayonet.  Rifle  fire  at  night  is  effective  only  for  very  short  distances, 
due  to  the  inability  of  the  firer  to  see  his  target.  The  pieces  are  loaded  to 
provide  for  an  emergency.  The  patrol  is  now  ready  to  proceed. 


Problem  No.  5  Card  No.  1 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Explain   situation   and    tactical    disposition    of   the   outpost. 

2.  Hand   out   Situation  No.    1. 

3.  Explain  visiting  patrols:    (a)    Composition.     (£>)    Objects  of.     (c)    Method  o-f 

operation,  (d)  Duties,  including  (1)  medium  of  communication;  (2)  pre- 
vent enemy  from  working  in  between  the  observation  posts;  (3)  drive  off 
small  patrols;  (4)  take  charge  of  detained  persons. 

4.  Give  the  instructions  of  Corporal   H,  as  indicated  in   the  solution. 


The  following  situation  is  now  handed  out: 

The  Problem 
Situation  No.  2: 

Your  patrol  has  been  inspected  and  you  are  now  ready  to  start  out. 
Required: 

What  formation  do  you  order? 

Procedure 

The  Director  will  explain  to  the  members  of  the  class  that  each  is  now 
to  consider  himself  as  being  Corporal  H.     That  the  two  privates   (C  and 


76  Tactical  Walks 

D)  are  standing  there  waiting  for  orders.     It  is  time  to  start.     Just  what 
orders  are  given? 

"Corporal  Smith,  just  what  orders  would  you  give  at  this  time?"  asks 
the  Director.  After  hearing  what  Corporal  Smith  has  to  say,  turning  to 
another,  he  says  :  "Sergeant  Jenkins,  what  orders  would  you  give  ?" 

Explanation 

It  will  be  the  endeavor  to  pin  the  men  down  to  the  exact  words  that 
they  would  use  in  giving  these  orders.  Herein  lies  one  of  the  great  values 
of  the  Tactical  Walk.  It  not  only  teaches  the  student  the  principles  of 
tactics  but  gives  practice  in  giving  the  orders  to  meet  the  various  tactical 
situations  and  fixes  all  indelibly  in  his  mind. 

The  simple  point  here  is  to  provide  the  proper  formation  for  the  patrol. 
Here  is  one  instance  when  the  patrol  leader  should  physically  lead  the 
patrol,  where  he  should  be  the  advance  man.  Corporal  H  has  been  over 
the  ground  at  least  twice,  once  in  the  afternoon  and  once  with  the  7  o'clock 
patrol.  He  ought  to  have  a  good  knowledge  of  the  route.  Then  again, 
things  frequently  happen  suddenly  and  require  quick  decisions;  Corporal 
H  is  there  to  make  them.  The  distances  between  the  members  of  the 
patrol  is  fixed  by  the  degree  of  darkness.  In  this  case  it  is  about  ten 
paces. 

After  a  discussion  of  these  points  the  Director  indicates  that  the  orders 
of  Corporal  H  would  be: 

"I  -will  lead.  C,  you  follow  me  at  a  distance  of  about  ten  paces.  D, 
you  follow  C  at  the  same  distance.  Keep  the  man  ahead  of  you  in  sight 
at  all  times.  C,  you  will  be  second  in  command.  Follow  me." 

The  Director  has  some  of  the  members  of  the  class  repeat  these  instruc- 
tions to  fix  them  more  firmly  in  their  minds. 


Problem  No.  5  Card  No.  2 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY. 

1.  Hand   out   Situation   No.    2. 

2.  Explain  that   each   member  of   class  is   now   Corporal   H. 

3.  Ask  questions  about  the  formation  of  the  patrol.     Why  should  corporal  lead? 

What   limits  distance  between   men? 

4.  Statement  of  orders  of  Corporal  H  involving  instructions  to  men  and  designa- 

tion of   a  second  in   command. 


Procedure 

The  class  is  now  conducted  along  the  route  by  which  the  visiting  patrol 
would  advance  to  a  point  near  the  position  of  the  left  sentinel  post  of 
Support  No.  1,  where  it  is  halted.  The  cards  bearing  the  following  situa- 
tion are  handed  out. 

The  Problem 

Situation  No.  3: 

You,  Corporal  H,  as  the  leading  man  of  your  patrol,  have  arrived  at 
this  point.  The  double  sentinel  post  from  the  left  outguard  of  Support 

No.  1  is  posted (The  Director  points  out  the  exact  position  where 

the  sentinel  is  supposed  to  be  posted.) 


A  Visiting  Patrol  77 

Required: 
What  do  you  do  and  how  do  you  do  it? 

Solution 

The  Director  has  decided  to  solve  this  situation  orally,  that  is,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  class  will  not  be  required  to  make  any  memoranda  on  their 
pads.  He  proceeds : 

"Corporal  Butcher,  what  would  you  do  under  the  circumstances?" 

"I  would  go  to  the  sentinel  and  ask  him" 

The  Director  interrupts,  "Wait  a  minute.  You  have  two  other  men  with 
you.  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  them?" 

"I  would  take  them  along  with  me,"  replies  the  Corporal. 

"Would  you  take  them  with  you,  Sergeant  James?" 

"No  sir.    I  would  have  them  halt  and  remain  where  they  are." 

"Right.    Now,  how  would  you  halt  them?" 

"I  would  halt  myself.  Then  I  would  signal  'Half  to  the  men.  I  would 
move  back  a  few  paces  and  say  to  Private  C,  "C,  you  and  D  stand  fast  until 
I  return.'" 

"What  would  you  do  now,  Corporal  Harris?"  asks  the  Director. 

"Well,  I  would  go  on  up  to  the  sentinel  and  ask  him" 

The  Director  interrupts,  "You're  going  too  fast.  What  I  want  to  get 
at  is  the  exact  method,  in  detail,  that  you  would  employ  in  getting  up  to 
that  sentinel.  Now,  tell  me  just  exactly  what  you  would  do  and  how 
you  would  do  it." 

Corporal  Harris  grasps  the  situation.  "I  would  go  up  to  this  point" 
(moving  forward  to  indicate).  "I  would  call  in  a  low  tone  of  voice  Vis- 
iting patrol.'  If  the  sentinel  did  not  recognize  me  I  would  go  a  little 
farther  towards  him  and  again  call  out  in  a  low  tone,  Visiting  patrol.' 
When  the  sentinel  hears  my  call  he  will  probably  say  to  me:  'Give  the 
countersign/  I  will  say  in  a  low  tone,  'Wilderness/  He  will  tell  me  to 
advance  and  I  will  approach  his  post." 

Explanation 

"That  is  exactly  right,"  says  the  Director.  "That  is  the  proper  method 
of  solving  the  situations  during  the  progress  of  a  tactical  walk.  You  have 
to  draw  upon  your  imagination  to  picture  the  situation  that  confronts  you. 
You  have  to  draw  upon  your  gray  matter  to  figure  out  and  decide  just 
what  you  would  do  under  the  circumstances  and  how  you  would  do  it. 
Finally,  you  have  to  draw  upon  your  power  of  speech  to  put  this  decision 
into  words  and  express  it  in  a  clear  and  intelligent  manner. 

"Now,  let  us  consider  in  detail  this  apparently  simple  proposition  of 
approaching  the  sentinel  post  at  night.  Outpost  sentinels  at  night  are  as 
easily  flushed  as  a  pheasant.  Their  nerves  are  strung  to  the  breaking  point. 
In  every  shadow  lurks  the  enemy.  They  soon  learn  to  take  no  chances. 
If  you  make  a  practice  of  running  headlong  into  sentinel  posts  on  dark 
nights  you  may  get  away  with  it  for  awhile,  but  you  are  taking  a  serious 
risk  and  the  game  will  finally  get  you.  Having  this  in  mind,  let  us  review 
the  process  of  approaching  the  sentinel  post: 

"1.  The  patrol  leader  halts  his  patrol  some  little  distance  from  the  post. 
He  tells  the  other  members  to  stand  fast  until  he  returns.  There  is  no 


78  Tactical  Walks 

necessity  for  any  other  person  than  the  patrol  commander  going  up  to 
the  post.  It  just  makes  that  much  more  confusion  and  adds  that  much 
more  chance  for  lurking  scouts  to  locate  the  post  and  get  information. 

"2.  The  patrol  leader  advances  towards  the  post  and  when  he  is  near 
enough  he  calls  in  a  low  tone,  Visiting  patrol/  and  continues  to  call  until 
he  is  recognized.  We  never  approach  a  sentinel  post  from  the  front  at 
night  and,  if  it  can  be  avoided,  never  from  a  flank.  Always  from  the 
rear. 

"3.  When  the  sentinel  discovers  the  presence  of  the  patrol  leader  he 
will  verify  his  identity  by  calling  upon  him  for  the  countersign.  Corporal 
H  gives  the  countersign,  'Wilderness/  and  the  sentinel  directs  him  to 
advance. 

"This  countersign  may  be  given  by  word  of  mouth.  It  may  consist  of 
whistling  a  few  bars  of  sortie  familiar  service  call.  It  may  be  made  by 
tapping  with  the  knuckles  on  the  stock  of  the  rifle.  The  number  of  taps 
to  represent  a  number,  for  example :  The  countersign  or  recognition 
signal  is  22 — 33.  Corporal  H  would  approach  the  sentinel  post  and  strike 
his  rifle,  tap,  tap  (pause),  tap,  tap.  The  answering  signal  from  the  sen- 
tinel would  be  tap,  tap,  tap  (pause),  tap,  tap,  tap.  He  would  then  know 
that  he  had  been  recognized  as  a  friend  and  proceed  to  the  post.  If 
the  sentinel  discovered  Corporal  H  first  he  would  keep  him  under  observa- 
tion and  when  he  is  close  enough  to  hear  would  challenge  him,  tap,  tap 
(pause),  tap,  tap.  Corporal  H's  answer  would  be  tap,  tap,  tap  (pause), 
tap,  tap,  tap.  The  system  is  interchangeable.  The  first  number  may  be 
said  to  be.  the  challenge  or  inquiry  signal  and  the  second  number  the 
recognition. 

"It  is  not  well,  however,  to  confine  ourselves  to  any  one  set  of  signals 
or  method  of  identification.  They  should  be  changed  frequently,  so  that 
the  enemy  will  never  know  what  system  is  being  used  on  any  particular 
night. 

"When  the  countersign  is  a  word  it  should  be  spoken  at  night  in  a 
very  low  tone  of  voice  for  fear  of  betraying  it  to  the  enemy's  scouts 
who  may  be  near  by.  History  is  replete  with  incidents  of  disaster  to 
covering  detachments  arising  from  the  enemy's  knowledge  of  counter- 
signs." 

The  Director  then  asks  if  there  are  any  question  on  the  subject. 

This  may  appear  to  be  a  long  drawn  out  discussion  of  a  simple  situa- 
tion, but  it  is  in  the  repetition  of  incidents  of  this  kind  that  they  are 
fixed  firmly  in  the  minds  of  the  men.  If  you  doubt  the  value  of  this  situ- 
ation, take  some  of  your  noncommissioned  officers  out  and  have  them 
solve  it  without  any  previous  preparation.  See  how  many  of  them  get 
away  with  it.  If  you  will  take  the  trouble  to  go  over  it  in  detail,  as  herein 
outlined,  you  will  find  that  the  next  time  you  have  a  Tactical  Walk  in- 
volving the  approaching  of  a  sentinel  on  post  at  night  your  men  will 
know  exactly  how  to  go  about  it.  And,  which  is  more  to  the  point,  when 
they  are  required  to  do  this  in  actual  practice  they  will  also  know  how 
to  go  about  it.  As  a  Director,  do  not  slur  over  the  details,  for  it  is  in 
these  that  the  men  fall  down.  Make  them  go  through  the  problem  step 
by  step  until  it  is  firmly  fixed  in  their  minds. 


A  Visiting  Patrol  79 


Problem  No.  5  Card  No.  3 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY. 

1.  Hand   out   Situation   No.    3.      Announce    no   writing   required. 

2.  Question    members    of    the    class    regarding   method   of    approaching    sentinel 

posts   at  night: 

(a)   Disposition   of   members   of   patrol. 
(t)   Advancing  towards  post, 
(c)   Identification. 

3.  Talk  on   method   of   solving  situations: 

(a)   Imagination,     (b)    Gray  matter,     (c)    Speech. 

4.  Approaching  sentinel  posts  at  night. 

5.  Resume   of   situation   and   solution. 

6.  Explanation  of  countersigns  and  challenges  and  recognition  signals. 

7.  Ask  if  there  are  any  questions. 


Explanation 

The  Director  explains  to  the  class  that  while  Corporal  H  is  at  the 
sentinel  post  he  will  make  inquiry  as  to  whether  there  is  any  information 
or  news  of  the  enemy  or  anything  else  that  would  be  of  interest  to  the 
commanding  officer  of  Support  No.  2.  He  also  gives  the  sentinels  such 
information  and  news  as  he  may  have.  Corporal  H  then  joins  the  other 
members  of  his  patrol  and  proceeds  along  the  line  of  observation  of 
Support  No.  2.  In  most  cases  the?  sentinels  will  not  be  far  from  the  out- 
guards  and  in  some  cases  Corporal  H  will  see  and  talk  to  the  outguard 
commanders.  If  the  latter  are  asleep  when  the  rounds  are  made  it  is 
ordinarily  not  necessary  to  wake  them,  for  the  sentinels  will  give  him 
any  information  that  he  desires.  Of  course,  if  there  is  anything  that 
requires  the  special  attention  of  the  outguard  commander,  Corporal  H 
would  see  him  and  tell  him  about  it. 

Each  sentinel  post  along  the  line  is  approached  in  the  same  manner  as 
stated  in  the  solution  to  Situation  No.  3.  It  will  be  well  to  enact  this 
situation,  say  at  No.  2  sentinel  post  of  Outguard  No.  2  by  detailing  one 
of  the  members  of  the  class  as  the  patrol  leader  and  having  two  other 
members  act  as  the  men  of  his  patrol.  Send  two  men  on  ahead  to  rep- 
resent the  sentinel  post  designated.  Have  the  other  members  of  the  class 
act  as  observers  and  conduct  a  short  conference  at  the  termination  of  the 
exercise  to  comment  on  the  conduct  of  it. 

Procedure 

Upon  the  completion  of  this  exercise  the  class  is  conducted  to  a  point 
about  midway  between  No.  2  sentinel  post  of  No.  2  Outguard  and  the 
sentinel  posted  from  Outguard  No.  3,  where  the  following  situation  is 
handed  out: 

The  Problem 

Situation  No.  4: 

Your  visiting  patrol  has  arrived  at  this  point.  You  are  right  here.  You 
hear  a  noise  in  that  direction.  (The  Director  points  out  the  direction 
from  which  the  noise  comes.)  In  a  moment  you  see  the  dim  outline  of 
a  man.  He  is  armed  with  a  rifle  which  he  seems  to  be  carrying  at  about 


Tactical  Walks 

the  position  of  "Port  Arms."     He  is  stooping  low  and  moving  very  cau- 
tiously towards  you.     Apparently  he  has  not  seen  you. 
Required: 
What  action  do  you  take? 

Procedure 

The  place  selected  for  this  situation  should  be  chosen  with  great  care. 
It  should  preferably  be  in  a  woods  with  some  underbrush  and  some  cleared 
places.  The  place  where  the  patrol  is  located  when  the  situation  is  given 
out  should  preferably  be  at  the  near  edge  of  one  of  these  clearings. 

The  men  are  given  a  few  minutes  to  study  over  the  situation  and  look 
over  the  ground.  They  are  reminded  that  it  is  supposed  to  be  night  and 
that  they  must  base  their  decisions  and  actions  on  that  assumption. 

Solution 

^Sergeant  Riley,  what  would  you  do,"  asks  the  Director. 

"Am  I  to  take  it  that  the  man  approaching  is  one  of  our  own  force 
or  one  of  the  enemy?"  queries  Sergeant  Riley. 

"That  is  exactly  the  point.  You  don't  know  whether  he  is  friend  or 
enemy  yet.  It  is  dark.  You  have  only  seen  the  bare  outlines  of  a  man. 
You  estimate  from  his  position  and  from  what  you  can  see  of  him  that 
he  is  carrying  a  rifle  at  the  position  of  'port/  " 

"I  would  not  want  to  shoot  one  of  our  own  men.  I  guess  I  would 
halt  and  wait  and  see  what  he  is  going  to  do." 

"Have  you  any  definite  plan  of  what  you  intend  to  do?" 

"No,  sir.  I'm  just  going  to  wait  and  see  what  he  is  going  to  do  and 
whether  he  is  a  friend  or  enemy,"  replies  Sergeant  Riley. 

The  Director  explains:  "The  moment  you  let  the  man  take  the  lead 
you  are  just  one  lap  behind  him  in  decision  and  action.  If  you  do  some- 
thing and  take  the  lead  yourself  he  will  have  to  make  his  decisions  rapidly 
and  base  his  action  on  what  you  do.  Never  lose  the  opportunity  to  put 
your  opponent  in  that  hole.  As  far  as  can  be  seen,  you  now  have  the 
drop  on  the  man.  Don't  make  a  blunder  and  lose  the  advantage.  Of 
all  tactical  offenses,  indecision  and  inaction  are  the  most  to  be  condemned. 

"Sergeant  Hughes,  tell  us  what  you  would  do?" 

"Well,  sir,  I  would  hate  to  make  the  mistake  of  killing  one  of  our 
own  men.  But  I  consider  that  no  man  of  this  outpost  has  any  business 
running  around  between  the  lines  at  this  time  of  the  night  unless  he 
is  a  member  of  a  patrol.  If  such  is  the  case  the  sentinel  at  No.  2  Out- 
guard  would  have  known  about  that  and  told  me.  So,  I  suppose  if  it 
came  to  the  point  of  killing  him,  he  would  be  paid  for  his  indiscretion. 
Next,  I  do  not  know  whether  the  man  is  alone  or  whether  there  are  others 
with  him.  Up  to  this  time  I  have  only  seen  one  man,  and  it  is  not  likely 
that  one  man  of  the  enemy  would  be  wandering  around  in  our  lines  alone. 
Considering  the  possibility  of  his  being  one  of  our  men,  I  would  give 
him -just  one  chance." 

"That  is  a  very  good  estimate  of  the  situation.  Now,  arrive  at  a  de- 
cision as  to  what  you  are  going  to  do  and  tell  me  what  it  is,"  says  the 
Director. 

Sergeant  Hughes  says :  "I  would  crouch  down.  Privates  C  and  D  see- 
ing me  do  this  would  follow  my  action  without  orders.  Without  making 


A  Visiting  Patrol  81 

any  noise  I  would  unlock  my  piece  and  aim  it  at  the  approaching  man. 
As  soon  as  he  arrived  at  a  point  where  I  could  see  him  sufficiently  in 
the  dark  to  make  sure  of  hitting  him  if  it  were  necessary  to  fire  I  would 
call  out  in  a  tone  loud  enough  for  him  to  hear  and  understand  that  I 
meant  business:  'Halt!  Drop  that  rifle!  Throw  up  your  hands!'  If 
there  was  the  least  hesitation  on  his  part  or  any  move  to  use  his  rifle 
I  would  fire.  In  other  words,  if  he  did  not  drop  his  rifle  instantly  and 
throw  up  his  hands,  I  would  shoot  him.  If  he  obeyed  my  orders,  I 
would  call  to  him  in  a  low  tone,  'I  have  the  drop  on  you.  Do  as  I  say, 
or  I'll  fire.  Walk  five  steps  towards  me  and  halt.'  I  would  wait  a  few 
seconds  to  see  if  there  were  any  more  men  behind  him  and  then  call  to 
Privates  C  and  D  to  join  me  at  the  edge  of  the  clearing.  While  I  still 
covered  the  man  with  my  rifle,  I  would  say,  'C,  you  go  out  and  search 
the  man.  Take  any  arms  that  he  may  have.  Keep  out  of  my  way,  so 
I  can  fire  if  necessary.  Now  get  his  rifle.'  I  now  have  the  man  a  pris- 
oner, and " 

"Wait  a  minute,"  interrupts  the  Director.  "That  is  as  far  as  we  will 
go  at  this  time.  I  think  you  have  covered  the  situation  very  well." 

"We  will  now  assume  that  you  have  the  man  a  prisoner.  Would  you 
try  to  get  any  information  from  him,  Sergeant  Casey?" 

"Yes,  sir.  Before  he  had  a  chance  to  get  over  the  confusion  and  col- 
lect his  thoughts  I  would  ask  questions  to  try  and  find  out  to  what  outfit 
he  belongs ;  what  he  is  doing  in  our  lines  by  himself,  a.nd  where  his  com- 
rades are,  if  he  has  any." 

Explanation 

The  Director  here  points  out  to  the  members  of  the  class  that  it  is  one 
of  the  important  duties  of  the  visiting  patrol  to  pick  up  all  persons  found 
inside  the  lines.  It  is  much  more  important  that  they  be  captured,  and 
every  effort  should  be  bent  to  that  end.  Make  it  a  rule  that  strangers 
in  the  outpost  line  have  no  business  there,  and  take  no  chances  on  their 
getting  away. 

The  Problem 

Situation  No.  4  (a): 

Privates  C  and  D  have  been  posted  to  guard  against   surprise.     You 
question  the  prisoner  a  moment.     He   refuses  to  give  any  information. 
Stands  mute.    To  your  one  question,  "What  are  you  doing  here?"  he  an- 
swers, "Lost." 
Required : 

What  action  do  you  take? 

Explanation 

The  Director  will  explain  that  while  only  this  one  man  has  been  seen 
by  the  patrol  that  there  is  a  possibility  that  there  are  others  in  the  im- 
mediate vicinity.  That  Corporal  H  will  immediately  post  Privates  C  and 
D  in  such  position  that  they  will  be  able  to  discover  the  approach  of  any 
person,  while  he  hurriedly  questions  the  prisoner  to  see  if  he  can  get  any 
information  from  him.  The  statement  that  he  is  "Lost"  may  be  the  truth 
and  it  may  not. 


82  Tactical  Walks 

Solution 

"Corporal  Hill,  what  would  you  do  in  this  case?"  asks  the  Director. 

"I  would  take  the  fellow  along  with  me,"  answers  the  Corporal. 

"What  would  you  do,  Corporal  Sanders?" 

"Well,  I  wouldn't  want  to  be  bothered  with  him,  so  I  would  send  him 
back." 

"Where  would  you  send  him  to?" 

"I  would  send  him  to  the  support  commander." 

"Why  not  send  him  to  Outguard  No.  3  for  the  time  being?"  asks  the 
Director.  "That  is  nearer  than  the  support." 

"Well,  sir,,  that  would  be  losing  time.  The  support  commander  should 
know  as  soon  as  possible  that  this  man  has  been  captured  in  our  lines, 
so  that  he  can  make  any  plans  he  desires  with  a  view  to  finding  out  where 
the  other  members  of  the  patrol  to  which  he  belongs  are,"  answers  Cor- 
poral Sanders. 

"That  is  the  exact  point  that  I  wish  to  bring  out.  In  the  first  place, 
Corporal  C,  at  Outguard  No.  3,  will  have  no  time  to  question  the  man. 
He  will  have  to  busy  himself  immediately  making  arrangements  to  send 
out  patrols  in  his  immediate  vicinity  to  see  if  he  can  find  any  other  mem- 
bers of  the  enemy's  forces.  It  is  not  likely  that  the  man  is  running  around 
in  our  lines  alone.  There  are  others  with  him.  Corporal  H  would  send 
the  prisoner  back  to  the  support  commander  immediately  in  order  that  the 
captain  may  question  him  before  he  gets  over  the  confusion  of  being 
captured,  and  in  order  that  patrols  may  be  sent  out  to  find  any  of  his 
comrades  that  may  also  be  within  the  lines.  This  capture  was  effected 
near  the  left  flank  of  the  outpost  line,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  other 
members  of  his  patrol  are  operating  out  on  the  left  of  the  line  and  work- 
ing around  towards  the  support.  The  captain  will  immediately  see  this 
phase  of  the  situation  and  sends  patrols  out  in  that  direction. 

"How  is  Corporal  H  going  to  send  him  back?  It  is  in  the  working  out 
of  these  minor  details  that  the  value  of  the  Tactical  Walk  lies.  We  are 
confronted  with  a  simple  situation  of  sending  a  prisoner  back.  Just  how 
are  we  going  to  do  it?  Let  us  work  out  the  details  of  how  Corporal 
H  will  go  about  it.  There  are  several  elements  to  be  considered: 

"1.     The  prisoner  is  to  be  sent  back. 

"2.  The  commander  of  Outguard  No.  2  is  to  be  notified  of  what  has 
happened,  so  that  he  may  take  intelligent  action  in  the  premises. 

"3.  The  support  commander  must  be  notified  of  the  circumstances  of 
the  capture  by  a  message  (verbal). 

"4.  The  support  commander  must  be  informed  of  the  action  that  Cor- 
poral H  intends  to  take  in  the  next  few  minutes." 

The  Director  now  says :  "We  will  assume  that  I  am  Corporal  H ;  that 
I  have  arrived  at  the  decision  outlined  above.  Give  me  your  attention  and 
I  will  enact  the  solution  of  the  problem." 

To  the  prisoner:  "Step  over  here  and  face  in  that  direction.  I  want 
to  warn  you  that  any  attempt  to  escape  will  be  disastrous  to  you." 

To  Private  C :  "C,  you  conduct  this  man  back  to  the  support  commander 
as  quickly  as  possible.  Have  him  march  in  front  of  you.  Place  the 
point  of  your  bayonet  close  to  his  back.  Do  not  let  him  escape.  As  you 
pass  Outguard  No.  2  notify  Corporal  C  of  the  circumstances  of  the  cap- 


A  Visiting  Patrol 


83 


ture,  and  say  that  we  have  gone  over  to  Outguard  No  3  Tell  the  cap- 
tain where  we  captured  this  man,  and  that  he  says  he  is  lost;  that  D 
and I  myse If  have  gone  over  to  Outguard  No.  3;  that  we  will  reconnoiter 
to  the  left  of  Outguard  No.  3.  You  rejoin  me  at  Outguard  No  3  Any 
questions?' 

Private  C  answers  "No."  He  then  commands  the  prisoner  to  move 
forward  aiong  the  trail,  and  that  he  will  direct  him  as  they  proceed 

The  prisoner's  rifle  would  be  hidden  in  the  brush.  It  can  be  gotten 
later.  Corporal  H  does  not  want  to  be  bothered  with  it  now. 

Corporal  H  and  Private  D  would  then  proceed  cautiously  towards  Out- 
guard No.  3  and  approach  the  sentinel  as  outlined  hereinbefore. 


Problem  No.  5  Card  No    4 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY. 


.^u.    o.      message    to    suppo 
7.  Further  action  of  Corporal  H. 


Procedure 

The  class  now  proceeds  in  the  direction  of  the  position  of  the  sentinel 
Uutguard  No.  3,  where  the  following  situation  is  handed  out : 

The  Problem 
Situation  No.  5: 

You  have  arrived  at  the  sentinel  post  of  Outguard  No.  3  and  have  been 
identified.  As  you  approach  the  sentinel  signal  "silence"  by  giving  the 
signal  cease  firing"  (Infantry  Drill  Regulations).  He  tells  you  in  a  low 
tone  that  he  heard  a  suspicious  noise  to  the  front  of  his  post,  and  points 
in  the  direction  from  whence  it  came.  He  tells  you  that  he  has  already 
signaled  the  outguard  (by  pulling  a  wire  that  runs  from  the  sentinel  to 

e  post  of  the  outguard,  where  it  is  fastened  to  the  foot  of  the  spare 
man).  At  this  moment  Corporal  D  and  one  member  of  his  outguard 
approach  the  sentinel  post,  signal,  and  are  identified.  You  inform  Cor- 
[)  of  the  capture  of  the  prisoner  and  make  a  hasty  review  of  the 
incidents  connected  therewith.  The  sentinel  repeats  his  suspicion  to  Cor- 
poral D.  You  are  the  senior  in  rank  at  present. 
Required : 

What  are  you  going  to  do? 

Explanation 

It  is  the  business  of  the  visiting  patrol  to  investigate  any  suspicious 
noises  and  incidents  that  may  be  reported  by  sentinels.  Corporal  H  de- 


84  Tactical  Walks 

cides  that  he  will  reconnoiter  in  the  direction  indicated  by  the  sentinel. 
This  decision  is  announced  by  the  Director  to  the  members  of  the  class. 

The  Director  questions  the  noncommissioned  officers  along  the  lines  in- 
dicated heretofore  to  get  their  ideas  of  the  methods  to  be  pursued  by 
Corporal  H  to  carry  out  his  decision  and  develop  the  following  points: 

1.  What  men  is  he  going  to  take  with  him  on  this  reconnaissance? 

2.  What  formation  is  he  going  to  employ? 

3.  What  instructions  is  he  going  to  give? 

After  this  the  Director  will  present  a  solution  for  the  consideration  of 
the  class,  as  follows :  ' 

Solution 

1.  Corporal   H  will  tell   Corporal  D  to  let  him  have  his   spare  man 
for  patrol  work.     He  states  that  he  will  take  the  spare  man  and  Private 
D  on  the  reconnaissance.     He  instructs  Corporal  D  to  remain  at  the  sen- 
tinel post  until  he  returns.     Corporal  H  and  the  spare  man   (whom  we 
will  designate  as  Private  M)  will  join  Private  D,  who  is  back  away  from 
the  sentinel  post,  and  start  the  reconnaissance  from  that  point.     The  Di- 
rector will  explain  that  it  would  not  be  good  tactics  to  start  a  recon- 
naissance directly  from  a  sentinel  post;  that  the  patrol  should  start  out 
at  some  distance  from  the  post,  and  preferably  to  a  flank. 

2.  The  formation  will  be  Indian  file,  Corporal  H  leading,  with  Private 
D  ten  paces  in  rear,  and  Private  M  ten  paces  in  rear  of  him.     Arriving 
at  the  point  where  D  is  located,  Corporal  H  will  give  the  following  in- 
structions : 

3.  "The  sentinel  from  Outguard  No.  3  has  reported  a  suspicious  noise 
a  short  distance  to  his  front.     Private  M  has  joined  us  and  will  go  out 
as  a  member  of  our  patrol.    M,  fix  bayonet.     (It  is  assumed  that  Private 
M  has  his  piece  loaded.)      We  will  reconnoiter  in  the  direction  of  the 
noise.    I  will  lead.     D,  you  follow  me  at  ten  paces.     M,  you  follow  D  at 
ten  paces.     D,  you  are  second  in  command.     Follow  me." 

Procedure 

The  Director  will  require  certain  members  of  the  class  to  repeat  the 
instructions  given  by  Corporal  H,  and  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  they 
follow  the  general  rule  for  the  composition  of  field  orders,  and  that  the 
technique  is  equally  suitable  for  the  orders  of  a  small  patrol  such  as  this 
and  for  any  detachment  of  troops  up  to  and  including  an  entire  army. 
Corporal  H  first  gives  information  of  the  enemy  and  our  own  troops 
(Private  M  joining  the  patrol).  He  states  his  plan  in  general  terms.  He* 
then  makes  his  disposition  of  troops  in  the  order  of  their  proximity  to 
the  enemy.  This  is  exactly  the  composition  of  the  first  three  paragraphs 
of  a  field  order. 


A  Visiting  Patrol  85 


Problem  No.  5  Card  No.  5 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY. 

1.  Conduct  class   to   position   of  sentinel   post   of  Outguard   No.   3. 

2.  Hand   out   card   bearing  the   Situation   No.    5. 

3.  Explain  that  visiting  patrols  reconnoiter  to  the  front,  and  announce  decision 

of   Corporal    H    to    that    effect. 

4.  Explain    points    involved    in    carrying    out    decision: 

1.  What  men   to   take. 

2.  What    formation. 

3.  Instructions. 

5.  Go  over  in  detail  the  matters  mentioned  in   1,  2,  and  3   above. 
Give    tactical    orders    in    3. 

6.  Have  members  of  class  repeat  orders. 

7.  Explain   and   grfre   short   talk   on    order    composition,   and   draw   attention   to 

similarity  of  Field  Orders. 


Procedure 

The  class  is  now  conducted  to  a  point  about  100  yards  to  the  front  of 
sentinel  post  from  Outguard  No.  3. 

The  Problem 

Situation  No.  6: 

You  have  arrived  at  this  point.  You  discover  a  cavalryman's  horse, 
fully  equipped,  tied  to  that  tree.  You  reconnoiter  the  vicinity,  which  in- 
cludes an  examination  of  the  trail  by  which  the  horse  was  brought  to 
the  point.  You  can  discover  only  the  one  set  of  tracks.  You  find  no  other 
indications  of  the  enemy. 
Required : 

What  action  do  you  take? 

Solution 

The  Director  questions  the  members  of  the  class. 

"Sergeant  Hardy,  what  would  you  do?" 

"I  would  estimate  that  the  horse  belongs  to  the  man  that  was  just 
captured.  I  would  secure  him  and  take  him  back  to  our  support." 

"Would  you  extend  your  reconnaissance  to  the  front  any  farther?" 

"No,  sir.  I  do  not  think  that  such  a  small  patrol  would  be  justified  in 
going  any  farther  than  a  hundred  yards  to  the  front  of  a  sentinel  post  at 
night. 

"Corporal  Jones,  would  you  do  anything  else?"  asks  the  Director. 

"Yes,  sir.  I  would  secure  the  horse  and  send  him  back  by  Private  D. 
Then  M  and  myself  would  wait  around  here  for  a  little  while,  remaining 
quiet  and  listening.  We  might  be  able  to  pick  up  some  information  of 
value  if  there  are  any  more  men  of  the  enemy  rambling  about  here." 

The  Director  explains:  "You  seem  to  have  a  very  good  grasp  of  the 
situation.  Is  there  any  further  action  that  any  of  you  could  suggest?" 

After  a  pause,  Corporal  Hill  asks :  "Would  Private  D  lead  the  horse 
or  ride  him?" 

Addressing  Corporal  Hill,  the  Director  asks:  "Which  would  you  do 
under  the  circumstances?" 


86  Tactical  Walks 

"I  would  lead  him  back." 

"Why  wouldn't  you  ride  him?" 

"I  could  get  him  Jback  with  less  noise  by  leading  him,  and,  then,  he 
might  run  away  with  me  if  I  tried  to  ride  him." 

"That  first  reason  is  the  main  object  in  leading  the  horse.  You  do.  not 
want  to  make  any  more  noise  than  is  absolutely  necessary,"  says  the 
Director. 

"We  will  decide,  then,  to  have  Private  D  lead  the  horse  back.  Cor- 
poral H  and  Private  M  will  remain  in  the  vicinity  for  .a  while  listening." 

The  Director  explains  that  Corporal  H  would  turn  the  horse  over  to 
D  and  give  him  his  instructions  and  a  message  for  the  captain  back  at 
the  support.  This  phase  of  the  situation  is  not  dwelt  upon  because  there 
are  others  that  have  to  be  gone  over,  and  the  time  is  getting  limited. 

"How  long  would  they  remain  out  here?"  asks  Corporal  Smith. 

"You  may  answer  that  question,  Sergeant  James,"  says  the  Director. 

"I  do  not  think  that  they  should  remain  here  any  great  length  of  time," 
answers  the  sergeant. 

"Why?" 

"Well,  as  soon  as  the  captain  gets  information  that  a  soldier  of  the 
enemy  has  been  captured  in  our  lines  he  will  send  out  a  patrol,  probably 
under  the  lieutenant,  to  investigate.  The  lieutenant  will  probably  come  to 
Outguard  No.  3.  He  will  want  to  see  Corporal  H  and  get  all  the  in- 
formation of  the  incident  first  hand.  Corporal  H  should,  therefore,  get 
back  to  the  outguard,  so  as  to  be  there  when  the  lieutenant  arrives,  so 
he  can  give  him  the  information." 

"What  do  you  think  about  that  estimate,  Corporal  Wilson?" 

"I  think  it  is  all  right." 

"Have  you  anything  further  to  suggest  ?" 

"No,  sir,"  answers  Corporal  Wilson. 

"Has  any  member  of  the  class  anything  further  to  suggest  or  any  ques- 
tions to  ask?"  The  Director  pauses.  "There  seems  to  be  none.  We  will 
then  decide — 

"1.    To  send  the  horse  back  by  Private  D  leading  him. 

"2.  Corporal  H  and  Private  M  remain  here  for  a  few  minutes,  listen- 
ing. Then  they  go  to  Outguard  No.  3,  so  as  to  be  there  and  give  in- 
formation of  what  has  happened  to  the  patrol  commander  when  he  comes 
out. 

The  Director  explains  how  necessary  it  was  for  Corporal  H  to  include 
in  his  message  to  the  captain  when  the  prisoner  was  sent  back  the  fact 
that  he  was  going  to  Outguard  No.  3. 


Problem  No.  5  Card  No.  6 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY. 

1.  Conduct  class  about   100  yards  to  front  of  sentinel  post. 

2.  Hand   out  cards   bearing   Situation   No.    6. 

3.  Question    members    of    class    to    bring    out    points:      (a)    What   to    do    with 

horse,      (b)    What  is  the   further   action   of  the   patrol,  (c)    Length   of 

time   to   remain   out.      (d)    Necessity   for  getting  back  to  Outguard  No. 

3.      O)    What  action   will  be  taken  by   captain   when   he  receives   infor- 
mation  of  the   capture  of  the  prisoner. 


A  Visiting  Patrol  87 

Procedure 

The  class  is  now  conducted  to  the  position  of  Outguard  No.  3,  where 
the  following  situation  is  handed  out : 

The  Problem 

Situation  No.  7: 

You  have  arrived  at  Outguard  No.  3.  On  the  way  back  Corporal  D 
joined  you.  At  this  moment  Lieutenant  K,  in  command  of  a  patrol  of 
eight  men  from  the  support,  arrives  and  states  that  he  has  been  ordered 
to  make  a  reconnaissance  to  the  left  front  and  flank  of  Outguard  No.  3; 
that  other  patrols  are  going  out  in  front  of  Outguards  No.  2  and  No.  1. 
He  says :  "Corporal  H,  give  me  all  the  information  that  you  have." 
Required : 

State  the  information  that  you  would  give  Lieutenant  K. 

Procedure 

The  Director  instructs  the  members  of  the  class  to  make  a  memorandum 
on  their  pads  of  just  what  information  they  would  give  the  lieutenant.  He 
explains  that  this  situation  is  devised  to  give  them  practice  in  imparting 
information;  that  on  occasions  like  this  time  may  be  limited  and  the  in- 
formation may  have  to  be  given  hurriedly  and  without  waste  of  words. 
The  idea  is  to  state  the  circumstances  of  the  incident  in  the  fewest  words 
possible  and  at  the  same  time  make  it  clear.  This  will  be  found  to  be 
a  most  valuable  training  for  noncommissioned  officers.  The  class  is  then 
questioned  regarding  the  statements  to  be  made  by  Corporal  H  to  Lieu- 
tenant K,  and  step  by  step  it  is  arrived  at  just  exactly  in  the  words  that 
he  employs. 

The  memoranda  are  read,  collected,  and  redistributed  as  indicated  here- 
tofore. 

The  whole  is  finally  put  into  a  solution  which  is  presented  to  the  class 
for  discussion. 

Solution 

Corporal  H  would  state:  "When  my  patrol  arrived  about  midway  be- 
tween the  left  sentinel  of  Outguard  No.  2  and  that  of  Outguard  No.  3, 
we  captured  a  soldier  of  the  enemy.  I  asked  several  questions.  He  re- 
fused to  answer,  except  that  he  said  he  was  lost.  I  sent  him  back  to 
the  support  and  came  on  over  to  Outguard  No.  3.  On  arriving  there  the 
sentinel  told  me  that  he  had  heard  a  suspicious  noise  out  in  front  of  his 
post.  I  took  two  men  and  went  out  about  100  yards,  where  I  found  a 
cavalry  horse,  fully  equipped.  Sent  him  back  to  the  support.  Made  ex- 
amination to  see  if  I  could  find  any  evidence  of  other  horses.  Found 
none.  Stayed  a  few  minutes  out  there.  Heard  nothing." 

Explanation 

The  Director  explains  that  Lieutenant  K  would  now  take  charge  of  the 
situation,  and  that  Corporal  H's  patrol  would  proceed  back  to  the  sup- 


88  Tactical  Walks 

port.  He  would  inquire  if  any  man  had  any  questions  to  ask  on  any 
phase  of  the  situations  that  have  been  under  consideration,  and  if  there 
were  any  he  would  endeavor  to  answer  them. 


Problem  No.  5  Card  No.  7 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY. 

1.  Conduct  class  to   Outguard  No.   3. 

2.  Hand    out    Situation    No.    7. 

3.  Write    out   memorandum    on   pads   of   the   solution. 

4.  Explain  object  of  the  situation. 

5.  Question   members  of  the   class   on   points  to   be  included   in  the   statement 

of  Corporal   H. 

6.  State    information    that    he    would    give. 

7.  Have  members   of  the  class  repeat  this   information. 


TACTICAL  WALK  No.  6 

A  DETACHED  POST 

The  Problem 
Situation  No.  1: 

A  Blue  detachment,  consisting  of  two  battalions  of  infantry  and  one 
machine-gun  company,  operating  in  hostile  country,  halts  for  the  night  at 
(a)  and  establishes  an  outpost  line  (b). 

At  1.30  p.  m.  you,  Sergeant  L,  in  command  of  the  third  platoon  of  your 
company,  report  to  Lieutenant  Colonel  B,  commanding,  at  camp  head- 
quarters, where  you  receive  the  following  orders: 

"It  is  reported  that  the  enemy  has  occupied  (c).  Contact  has  not  been 
gained.  Our  detachment  will  camp  here  for  the  time  being.  Companies 
(d)  and  (e)  have  established  an  outpost  along  the  line  (/).  Reconnoiter- 
ing  patrols  are  operating  in  the  direction  of  (<?). 

"You  will  establish  a  detached  post  with  your  platoon  at  (/*),  covering 
the  (t). 

"Cooked  rations  will  be  sent  out  from  your  company. 

"Your  battalion  commander  will  inspect  your  position  later. 

"Send  messages  here." 

It  is  assumed  that  you  have  made  an  inspection  of  your  platoon.     The 
men  are  all  properly  equipped  for  the  duty. 
Required : 

What  action  do  you  take? 

Explanation  of  Symbols 

(a)  The    place    where    the    Tactical    Walk    begins.       If    no    better    method    of 
designating  the  location  can  be  devised,  you  may  say   "Here"  or  "This  point." 

(b)  A  brief   description   of  the   general   location   of  the    outpost   line,   as   "Along 
the  Mandinga  Brook,"  "Covering  the  approaches  from  the  west,"  "Along  the  Sheridan 

Pike,"  "Along  the  railroad,"   "Extending  from  to  along  the  south 

edge  of  the  Highfand  Woods,"  etc. 

(c)  A  point  several  miles  to  the  front.     This  point  should  be  one  that,  is  familiar 
to    the    members    of    the    class.      If    no    such    point    is    available,    a    general    location 
may  be  named. 

(d)  and     (e)     Designate    the    companies    that    are    forming    the    outpost.       For 
example,    if    you    assume    that    Sergeant    L    is    commanding    the    third    platoon    of 
Company   H,    designate  two    of  the   other   companies    of   the   battalion  as   the   outpost 
companies,    as   E    and    F. 

(/)    Same  as  Note   (&). 

(gr)   Some  point  in  the  direction  of  the  enemy,  as  designated  in  Note   (c). 

(/t)  Describe  the  location  of  the  point  where  it  is  desired  to  establish  the 
detached  post.  This  point  should  be  located  on  the  flank  or  flank  and  rear  of  the 
general  outpost  position.  It  should  be  pointed  out  to  the  members  of  the  class, 
if  it  is  possible  to  do  so.  It  should  not  in  this  case  be  located  to  the  ,front  of  the 
outpost  line,  as  it  would  be  inconsistent  with  the  tactical  situation  and  dispositions. 
If  it  were  in  front  of  the  outpost  line,  the  detached  post  would  be  sent  out  by  the 
"The  bridge  over  the  Mandinga  Brook,"  "The  Mandinga  Ford,"  "The  approaches 
outpost  commander.  (See  discussion  of  Detached  Post.) 

(t)  Some  topographic  feature  to  the  front  or  flank  should  be  named,  such  as 
leading  from  the  direction  of  ,"  etc.  (See  6.) 

Explanation 

The  Director  explains  that  each  man  is  to  now  consider  himself  as 
being  Sergeant  L,  in  command  of  the  third  platoon  of  his  company;  that 


90  Tactical  Walks 

the  platoon  is  standing  in  column  of  squads,  ready  to  march;  and  that 
Sergeant  L  has  received  and  understands  the  orders  as  stated  in  Situa- 
tion No.  1. 

Before  entering  upon  the  solution  of  the  problem  the  Director  will  ex- 
plain what  a  detached  post  is,  the  tactical  reasons  for  its  existence,  and, 
in  general,  the  duties  that  devolve  upon  it: 

"When  a  position  has  been  selected  for  the  establishment  of  an  out- 
post line  it  may  be,  and  frequently  is,  found  that  there  is  some  point  of 
tactical  importance  that  is  too  distant  to  be  included  in  the  general  line 
of  defense.  Such  a  position  is  provided  for  by  occupying  it  with  a  de- 
tached post. 

"The  position  may  lie  to  the  front  of  the  general  outpost  line,  but  at 
such  distance  that  its  operations  could  not  be  controlled  by  one  of  the 
support  commanders.  In  this  case  the  detached  post  will  be  sent  out  by 
the  outpost  commander  from  the  troops  detailed  for  outpost  duty, 

"The  position  may  lie  to  the  flank  of  the  general  line  of  the  outpost, 
but  too  far  away  to  be  included  in  it  without  a  sheer  waste  of  troops 
to  bridge  the  gap.  In  this  case  the  troops  for  the  detached  post  may  be 
detailed  from  those  of  the  outpost  or  be  sent  direct  from  the  main  body. 

"The  position  may  lie  to  the  flank  and  rear  of  the  general  line  of  the 
outpost  or  to  the  flank  or  rear  of  the  main  body.  In  this  case  the  troops 
for  the  detached  post  are  taken  direct  from  the  main  body.  The  com- 
mander received  his  instructions  from  the  supreme  commander;  his  dis- 
positions are  inspected  by  a  representative  of  the  commander,  and  he  is 
responsible  to  him  alone  and  in  no  way  connected  with  the  regular  outposts. 

"The  duties  devolving  upon  a  detached  post  are,  in  general,  those  that 
pertain  to  an  element  of  an  outpost  line ;  that  is,  observation  and  resistence : 
in  detail,  to  keep  under  observation  all  the  approaches  by  which  the  enemy 
may  advance  and  to  watch  and  report  his  movements ;  to  prevent  hostile 
reconnaissance  and  resist  the  enemy's  advance  long  enough  for  the  main 
body  to  prepare  for  action." 

Procedure 

The  Director  now  reads  over  the  problems,  the  members  of  the  class 
following  from  the  copies  in  their  possession.  He  announces  that  the 
solution  will  be  made  orally. 

Solution 

"Sergeant  Hughes,  you  may  state  the  tactical  situation  as  you  under- 
stand it,"  says  the  Director. 

Sergeant  Hughes  goes  over  the  situation.  This  procedure  may  be  re- 
peated with  other  members  of  the  class  until  it  is  certain  that  all  are  fa- 
miliar with  the  same. 

"Sergeant  James,  what  is  the  first  thing  that  you  would  do?" 

"Well,  sir,  I  would  want  all  the  men  to  know  where  we  are  going  and 
what  we  intend  to  do.  In  other  words,  I  would  give  them  this  informa- 
tion and  issue  the  necessary  orders  to  start  upon  my  mission." 

The  Director  explains :  "In  issuing  orders  to  any  detachment  of  troops, 
be  it  a  small  patrol  or  a  division,  it  is  well  to  follow  the  general  plan 


A  Detached  Post  91 

of  the  Field  Service  Regulations.  First,  giving  all  available  information 
of  the  enemy  and  our  own  troops;  secondly,  stating  in  general  terms  the 
mission  of  the  command;  third,  the  disposition  of  troops  in  the  order  of 
their  proximity  towards  the  enemy ;  fourthly,  the  arrangements  for  supply ; 
and,  lastly,  where  information  and  messages  are  to  be  sent.  Now,  having 
these  elements  in  mind,  Sergeant  Yates,  what  would  be  included  in  the 
first  part  of  the  order?" 

"I   would  tell  them,  sir,  about  the  enemy  being " 

The  Director  interrupts :  "Sergeant,  do  not  tell  me  what  you  would 
tell  the  men.  You  are  supposed  to  have  that  platoon  formed  up  here  and 
ready  to  march.  Draw  upon  your  imagination  to  see  it.  What  I  want 
you  to  do  is  to  put  into  words  the  exact  order  that  you  would  issue  if 
you  had  your  platoon  right  here  and  were  giving  them  orders.  Do  you 
understand  what  is  wanted  now?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  answers  the  sergeant. 

"Then  proceed." 

The  sergeant  grasps  the  situation,  and  states :  "I  would  call  the  platoon 
to  attention  and  say:  'The  enemy  has  occupied  (c).  Contact  has  not 
been  gained.  Our  troops  will  camp  here  for  the  present.  Companies  (d) 
and  (e)  have  established  an  outpost  along  the  line  (/).  Reconnoitering 
parties  are  now  operating  in  the  direction  of  (#)."* 

"In  other  words,  you  would  give  the  men  all  the  information  that  you 
have  just  received  from  the  detachment  commander?"  queries  the  Director. 

"Yes,  sir.    That  is  the  idea." 

"Sergeant  Williams,  you  may  state  the  mission  of  the  platoon." 

"This  platoon  will  march  towards  (h)  to  establish  a  detached  post 
there." 

"Corporal  Johnson,  what  comes  next?" 

"My  disposition  of  troops.  I  would  want  a  small  advance  guard  to 
insure  the  protection  of  our  march." 

"All  right.    Go  ahead  and  give  your  order  for  that." 

"Corporal  A,  with  the  first  squad,  will  form  the  advance  guard.  March 
via  the ,  ,  .  The  main  body  will  follow  at  300  yards." 

"Would  you  give  such  a  small  command  the  designation  of  advance 
guard?  Why  not  call  it  a  point?"  asks  the  Director. 

"Well,  sir,  if  I  call  it  an  advance  guard  it  alone  is  charged  with  the 
security  of  the  march,  and  Corporal  A  is  at  liberty  to  send  out  such  flank- 
ing patrols  as  he  deems  necessary.  If  I  designate  the  first  squad  as  a 
point,  it  will  march  right  along  the  route  and  not  be  concerned  with  the 
flanks.  It  will  take  it  for  granted  that  the  main  body  will  do  the  flank 
reconnaissance  work,  and  I  do  not  desire  that  disposition.  It  is  my  in- 
tention to  charge  the  first  squad  with  the  security  of  the  march;  hence  I 
designate  it  as  advance  guard  and  not  as  a  point." 

"You  are  exactly  right.  Is  there  any  member  of  the  class  that  does 
not  understand  that  distinction?" 

Turning  to  Corporal  Hamlin:     "What  are  your  next  orders?" 

"Cooked  rations  will  be  sent  out  from  the  company." 

"And  the  final  order?"  says  the  Director. 

"Messages  to  head  of  main  body." 

*Letter   symbols   correspond  to   those   in   the   situation. 


92  Tactical  Walks 

The  Director  will  have  one  or  more  members  of  the  class  repeat  the 
whole  order,  with  a  view  to  getting  the  system  firmly  indoctrinated  into 
his  noncommissioned  officers. 

It  takes  time,  patience,  and  constant  repetition  to  accomplish  this.  But 
perseverance  will  finally  be  rewarded  with  a  corps  of  noncommissioned 
officers  in  which  you  will  have  confidence — a  corps  of  noncommissioned 
officers  that  you  feel  will  meet  tactical  situations  with  common  sense  and 
good  judgment. 

"Having  given  the  necessary  orders,  what  is  Sergeant  L's  next  move, 
Corporal  Willis?" 

"To  put  his  outfit  in  march,"  replies  the  corporal. 

"How  would  you  do  this  ?  Give  the  commands  and  instructions  that  you 
would  actually  give  if  the  men  were  here." 

Corporal  Willis :  "  'First  squad,  at  trail !  Forward,  MARCH  !  Squad 
halt!  Corporal  A,  take  charge.  Have  your  men  load.  Move  out  when 
you  are  ready/  When  the  first  squad  has  advanced  a  short  distance  to 
the  front,  face  the  column  of  squads  in  the  direction  of  the  march  and 
command :  'As  skirmishers,  Guide  center,  MARCH  !  With  ball  cartridges, 
load !'  When  the  advance  guard  has  gained  its  proper  distance :  'Platoon 
column,  MARCH  1'  To  J  and  D :  'Move  out  and  form  connecting  files.' " 

Explanation 

You  will  see  the  tactical  advantage  of  this  formation  immediately.  If 
the  necessity  for  deployment  exists,  all  Sergeant  L  has  to  do  is  give  the 
signal  and  the  skirmish  line  spreads  out  without  loss  of  time.  If  a  de- 
ployment to  a  flank  is  necessary,  one  of  the  column  of  files  can  immedi- 
ately face  in  that  direction  already  deployed  to  meet  it. 


Problem  No.  6  Card  No.   1 

DIRECTORS  KEY 

1.  Conduct  class  to  place  where  Tactical  Walk  is  to  start.     Camp  of  main  body. 

2.  Hand    out   cards    bearing   Situation    No.    1. 

3.  Explain  that  each  man  is  to   consider   himself  as   being  Sergeant   L.      Solu- 

tion orally. 

4.  Explain    tactical    necessity    for    detached    posts:       (a)    In    front    of    outpost 

line.      (b)    On   the    flank.      (c)    On   the   flank    and   rear,  (d)    Duties — 
observation    and    resistence. 

5.  Read   over   problem.      Ask  questions   about  it. 

6.  Orders:       1.     Information     of    enemy    and    our    own    troops.  2.     Mission. 

3.    Disposition    of   troops.      4.    Arrangements    for    supply.       5.    Messages. 

7.  Question  to  bring  out  wording  of  orders  that  would  be   issued. 

8.  Distinction    between    squad    as    advance   gtfcard    and    as    point. 

9.  Commands  to   put   platoon    in   march.      Advantage   of   platoon   column. 


Procedure 

The  class  is  now  conducted  to  the  place  where  the  detached  post  is  to 
be  established,  where  the  following  situation  is  given  out: 

The  Problem 
Situation  No.  2: 

You,  Sergeant  L,  at  the  head  of  the  main  body,  have  arrived  at  this 
point,  where  the  detached  post  is  to  be  established.  Your  advance  guard 
is  about  200  yards  ahead. 


A  Detached  Post  93 

Required : 
What  action  would  you  take  with  reference  to — 

1.  Halting  the  platoon  and  providing  cover  for  it. 

2.  Detailing  a  detachment  to  cover  the  posting  of  the  outguards. 

3.  Getting  in   communication   with   the   flank   element  of   the   general 
outpost  line. 

4.  Determination  of  the  number,  strength,  and  location  of  outguards. 

5.  Making  a  sketch  of  the  position  occupied  by  the  detached  post  and 
making  a  report  of  the  dispositions. 

6.  Preparation  of  the  position  for  defense. 

7.  Sending  out  patrol. 

8.  Night  dispositions. 

Explanation 

The  Director  explains  that  before  taking  up  the  solution  of  the  problem 
he  will  make  a  review  of  the  elements  of  the  requirements: 

1.  The  platoon  is  in  march.    It  will  have  to  be  halted.    The  main  body 
should  be  placed  under  cover  while  Sergeant  L  is  making  his  examination 
of  the  surroundings  and  determining  on  his  measures  for  occupying  the 
position.    Just  how  are  you  going  to  halt  the  platoon,  and  just  where  are 
you  going  to  put  the  main  body? 

2.  A  detachment  must  be  detailed  to  provide  security  during  the  post- 
ing of  the  outguards  and  sentinels.    In  this  case  the  advance  guard  is  so 
disposed  that  it  will  be  able  to  assume  this  duty  with  the  least  expendi- 
ture of  time  and  energy. 

3.  Sergeant  L  must  get  in  touch  with  the  nearest  flank  element  of  the 
regular  outpost  line.     Locate  it  and  inform  them  of  his  location.     This 
may  be  accomplished  by  a  small  patrol  sent  out  for  the  purpose. 

4.  It  must  be  determined  how  many  outguards  are  to  be  sent  out,  what 
the  strength  of  each  is  to  be,  and  where  each  is  to  be  posted.     An  out- 
guard  may  be  a  sentry  squad  of  a  corporal  and  his  seven  men,  from  which 
one  double  sentinel  post  is  furnished.     This  gives  the  three  reliefs   for 
the  sentinel  post  and  one  additional  man  as  "runner."     It  may  consist  of 
a  Cossack  post,  of  a  noncommissioned  officer,  and  three  men,  which  is 
sufficient  to  provide  three  reliefs  for  a  single  sentinel  post.     The  topogra- 
phy is  the  determining  factor  for  the  number,  strength,  and  location  of 
these  outguards,  and  it  can  only  be  determined  after  a  careful  examina- 
tion.    The  idea  is  that  we  employ  only  such  number  as  is  necessary  to 
provide  adequate  observation. 

5.  A  sketch  will  have  to  be  made  of  the  position  and  a  report  of  the 
dispositions  made  to  the  camp  commander  at  the  earliest  practicable  mo- 
ment.   This  may  be  accomplished  by  detailing  a  noncommissioned  officer  to 
make  the  sketch  and  have  it  all  prepared  when  you  are  ready  to  make 
your  report. 

6.  Arrangements  will  have  to  be  made  for  preparing  the  position  for 
defense.    This  includes  the  location  and  type  of  trenches ;  the  location  and 
type  of  obstacles,  considering  the  material  at  hand  available  for  same ;  the 
time  and  men  available  for  clearing  the  field  of  fire;  the  establishment 
of  communication  with  camp  headquarters. 


94  Tactical  Walks 

7.  The  number  of  patrols  that  are  to  be  sent  out  will  have  to  be  de- 
cided upon,  including  the  number  and  strength  of  each  and  the  route  they 
are  to  take. 

8.  Arrangements  will  have  to  be  made  before  dark  for  the  night  dis- 
positions, including  the  position  of  outguards  and  the  routes  to  be  taken 
by  visiting  patrols.    At  night  any  operations  of  the  enemy  worthy  of  note 
are  practically  confined  to  the  roads  and  well-defined  trails.     If  these  are 
covered  and  the  intervening  country  patrolled,  there  is  little  danger  of 
a  surprise.     The  routes  to  be  taken  by  the  night  patrols  should  be  thor- 
oughly reconnoitered  by  day. 

The  Director  states :  "Having  these  points  in  mind,  each  member  of 
the  class  will  make  an  examination  of  the  country  in  his  vicinity  and 
prepare  a  memorandum,  showing  just  what  he  would  do  to  meet  the 
situation  in  each  case." 

Half  an  hour,  or  longer  if  necessary,  should  be  allowed  for  this. 

When  the  time  is  up  the  Director  will  assemble  the  class  at  some 
convenient  point  where  they  can  overlook  the  country  and  proceed 
to  a  detailed  solution  of  the  problem. 

Solution 

"Each  man  will  now  consult  his  memorandum  with  respect  to  the 
several  requirements  of  the  situation/'  explains  the  Director.  "Just 
how  would  you  halt  the  platoon,  Corporal  Hardy?" 

"I  would  blow  several  short  blasts  on  my  whistle  and  hold  my 
right  arm  up  vertically.  This  is  the  signal  for  halt.  The  whistle 
is  to  attract  the  attention  of  everybody." 

"Why  would  it  be  necessary  to  use  the  whistle?" 

"Well,  sir,  the  advance  guard  is  more  than  200  yards  ahead,  and 
I  would  have  to  have  some  way  of  attracting  their  attention." 

"You  have  forgotten  about  the  connecting  files  between  you  and 
die  advance  guard,  who  are  charged  with  looking  out  for  the  trans- 
mitting signals,"  says  the  Director. 

"That's  so;  we  have  connecting  files.  I  could  call  to  them  and 
not  have  the  noise  of  a  whistle  signal." 

"Sergeant  Hughes,  we  now  have  the  command  halted.  Where 
rre  you  going  to  put  the  main  body  while  Sergeant  L  is  making 
an  -examination  of  the  position  and  determining  the  measures  for 
occupying  it.  I  want  you  to  show  me  exactly  where  you  would  place 
them." 

This  phase  of  the  situation  will  have  to  be  worked  out  on  the 
ground.  A  solution  should  finally  be  arrived  at  as  to  just  where 
and  how  the  main  body  will  be  concealed  during  this  period  of  time. 
It  may  be  well  for  the  Director  to  here  take  up  the  question  of 
keeping  up  communication  between  the  covering  detachments  and 
the  main  body  until  the  outguards  and  sentinels  are  posted.  The 
connecting  files  may  be  employed  for  this,  their  number  being 
increased  if  necessary  for  the  purpose. 


A  Detached  Post  95 

"The  command  is  now  under  cover,  Sergeant  Hamilton.  How 
are  you  going  to  provide  for  a  detachment  to  cover  the  posting 
of  the  outguards  and  sentinels?"  asks  the  Director. 

"I  would  adopt  the  captain's  scheme  and  have  the  advance  guard 
do  it." 

"All  right.  Just  how  would  you  accomplish  this?  You  will 
htve  to  get  some  orders  to  Corporal  A  to  that  effect." 

"I  would  say  to  Private  N  (third  squad) :  'You  go  forward  to 
Corporal  A.  Tell  him,  "  'No  further  information  of  the  enemy. 
The  platoon  has  halted  under  cover.  The  detached  post  will  be 
established  at  (h).  The  duties  of  the  advance  guard,  as  such, 
will  cease.  The  first  squad  will  cover  the  posting  of  the  guards  and 
sentinels.  Messages  to  me  here.  Repeat  that/  " 

"Did  Sergeant  Hamilton  leave  anything  out  of  his  orders  to 
Corporal  A,  Corporal  Rodgers?" 

"I  think  not,  sir.     It  seems  to  me  he  covered  the  situation." 

"What  do  you  think  about  that,   Sergeant  Hughes?" 

"If  I  were  in  Corporal  A's  place,  I  would  want  to  know  just  who 
is  responsible  for  keeping  up  communication  between  my  squad 
and  the  main  body,'  replies  Sergeant  Hughes. 

"You  are  right.  That  is  the  point  that  I  wish  to  bring  out.  If 
nothing  was  said  about  keeping  up  the  communication,  Corporal  A 
would  have  to  attend  to  it.  This  might  take  several  of  his  men  and 
leave  very  few  for  covering  duty.  I  think  Sergeant  L  would  include  in 
his  instructions  a  statement  to  the  effect  that  'communication  with 
the  covering  detachment  will  be  maintained  by  connecting  files  from 
main  body.'  This  leaves  Corporal  A  free  to  use  his  entire  squad  in 
the  duty  of  providing  for  the  security  of  the  command  while 
the  outguards  are  being  posted." 

"Why  did  Sergeant  Hamilton  take  Private  N,  of  the  third  squad, 
to  carry  the  message?"  inquired  Sergeant  Yates. 

"Why  did  you  do  that,  Sergeant  Hamilton?"  asks  the  Director. 

"The  third  squad  is  in  the  lead.  Two  men  have  already  been 
detached  from  it  to  form  the  connecting  files,  and  the  squad  is 
broken  up  somewhat.  By  taking  Private  N  from  it  we  save  cutting 
into  another  squad." 

Sergeant  Yates  states:  "I  had  overlooked  the  fact  that  we  are 
marching  in  platoon  column  and  that  the  second  and  fourth  squads 
would  be  on  the  flanks  if  we  were  deployed  and  the  third  squad 
in  the  center  and  consequently  at  the  head  of  the  column  when 
marching." 

"The  next  proposition  is  that  of  getting  in  touch  with  the  near- 
est flank  element  of  the  regular  outpost  line,"  states  the  Director. 
"Sergeant  Edmunds,  how  would  you  accomplish  this?" 

"I  would  send  a  patrol  over  there." 

"How  many  men,  and  where  would  you  get  them  from?" 


96  Tactical  Walks 

"I  would  use  Corporal  C  and  two  men  of  his  (third)  squad  for 
the  communication  patrol.  This  squad  is  already  broken  up,  and 
by  so  doing  I  leave  the  second  and  fourth  squads  intact." 

"That  seems  to  be  a  reasonable  solution.  What  instructions  would 
you  give  Corporal  C?" 

Sergeant  Edmunds  replies:  "I  would  say  to  Corporal  C,  The 
left  picket  of  the  general  outpost  line  is  located  about  •  (describ- 
ing the  location  as  accurately  as  possible).  Take  two  men  of  your 
squad.  Locate  a  route  to  it,  so  that  you  could  go  there  at  night, 
if  necessary.  Report  to  the  picket  commander  that  we  are  estab- 
lishing a  detached  post  at  this  point  and  will  send  out  reconnoitering 
patrols  later  in  the  afternoon.  Get  any  information  that  he  may  have 
of  the  enemy.  Have  your  patrol  take  off  packs.'  " 

Explanation 

The  Director  explains  that  the  establishment  of  a  detached  post 
and  the  performance  of  duty  in  connection  therewith  is  much  the 
same  as  in  the  case  of  the  support  of  an  outpost  line.  A  central 
position,  capable  of  being  defended,  is  selected  for  the  main  body 
of  the  post.  Outguards,  with  their  sentinels,  are  posted.  Recon- 
noitering patrols,  and,  if  the  occasion  demands  it,  combat  patrols, 
are  sent  out  to  the  front. 

Solution   (Continued) 

"The  next  problem  for  Sergeant  L  to  determine,"  says  the  Director, 
"is  the  number,  location,  and  strength  of  the  outguards.  Sergeant 
James,  what  class  of  outguards  would  you  employ?" 

"It  seems  to  me  that. the  Cossack  post  system  would  meet  the 
situation  very  well,"  replies  the  sergeant. 

"Upon  what  do  you  base  your  estimate?" 

"Well,  sir,  this  is  only  a  small  force.  We  will  require  certain 
patrols  operating  to  the  front  practically  continuously.  We  will 
require  at  least  two  observation  posts.  If  we  make  them  sentry 
squads,  half  of  our  command  is  on  observation  duty  and  the  patrol 
will  consume  the  best  part  of  another  squad.  I  would  consider  thai 
we  should  have  at  least  half,  and  more  if  practicable,  of  our  com- 
mand well  in  hand  and  ready  to  meet  any  emergency." 

"Your  estimate  seems  to  be  based  on  sound  principles,"  replies 
the  Director.  "Now  let  us  examine  into  the  places  where  observa- 
tion groups  are  required." 

Procedure 

This  phase  of  the  problem  will  have  to  be  worked  out  on  the 
ground  itself.  The  class  will  be  conducted  along  the  front  where 
it  is  proposed  to  locate  the  outguards  and  the  exact  position  of  each 


A  Detached  Post  9? 

determined  upon  after  a  consideration  of  a)l  the  elements  that 
enter  into  the  situation.  Having  determined  that,  say,  two,  outguards 
(Cossack  posts)  are  to  be  established  and  the  places  where  they 
are  to  be  posted  selected,  the  Director  addresses  a  member  of  the 
class: 

Solution  (Continued) 

"Corporal  Willis,  what  troops  would  you  detail  to  form  the 
Cossack  posts?" 

"I  would  take  the  second  squad.  It  is  intact.  There  is  only  one 
noncommissioned  officer,  so  I  would  detail  one  of  the  privates  of 
the  squad  as  an  acting  noncommissioned  officer  and  place  him  in 
command  of  the  post." 

"We  will  assume  that  the  second  squad  has  been  called  up  and 
you  are  ready  to  give  the  orders  for  establishing  the  Cossack  posts. 
You  may  give  these  orders,  Corporal  Jameson." 

Corporal  Jameson  proceeds:  "There  is  no  further  information 
of  the  enemy.  The  first  squad  is  covering  the  posting  of  the  out- 
guards.  Corporal  C's  patrol  has  gone  over  to  locate  the  flank 
element  of  the  regular  outpost  line. 

''The   second  squad  will  form  the  outguards. 

"Corporal   B,  with  the  front  rank,  will  form   Cossack  post  No.   1, 

posted  at —  (indicating  position),  covering  the  front  from , 

inclusive,  to  ,  inclusive. 

"Private  M,  you  are  detailed  acting  corporal.     You  will,  with  the 

rear  rank  of  the  squad,  form   Cossack  post  No.  2,  posted  at  

(indicating  position),   covering   the   front   from  ,   exclusive,   to 

,  inclusive. 

"In  case  of  attack,  you  will,  after  offering  all  resistance  possible, 
fall  back  on  the  support  which  will  be  intrenched  here. 

"Arrange  for  signal  communication  with  the  support. 

"This  order  will  tentatively  establish  the  line  of  observation.  Later 
on  Sergeant  L  will  have  to  make  an  inspection  and  order  any  changes 
that  he  may  desire  in  their  dispositions." 

If  time  is  available,  the  Director  may  later  take  the  class  to  one  or 
both  of  the  Cossack  posts  and  work  out  in  detail  the  method  of 
posting  the  post  and  sentinel  and  frame  up  the  orders  and  instruc- 
tions that  would  be  given  the  latter. 

The  Director  explains:  "The  next  question  that  will  engage  the 
attention  of  Sergeant  L  is  the  making  of  a  sketch  of  the  position. 
The  camp  commander  will  want  to  know  how  this  particular  location 
is  being  defended,  and  the  best  way  to  inform  him  of  the  facts  is  by 
means  of  a  report,  supplemented  by  a  sketch,  showing  the  disposi- 
tions." 

Continuing:  "Sergeant  Turner,  how  would  you  arrange  for  the 
making  of  this  sketch?" 


98  ,  Tactical  Walks 

"I  would  not  have  time  to  do  it  myself.  I  would  detail  a  non- 
commissioned officer  and  one  of  the  men  of  the  fourth  squad  to 
do  it." 

"On  what  scale  would  you  have  the  sketch  made,  Corporal  John- 
son?" 

"I  would  let  the  corporal  select  the  scale.  It. would  not  make  much 
difference,  so  it  was  large  enough  to  show  the  position  and  the 
dispositions." 

"Do  you  know  whether  or  not  a  scale  has  ever  been  prescribed 
for  position  sketches?" 

"No,  sir;  not  that  I  know  of." 

"Corporal  Jennings, -on  what  scale  would  you  have  the  sketch 
made?" 

"The  normal  scale  provided  for  in  Field  Service  Regulations  is  6 
inches  to  the  mile,  with  a  vertical  interval  of  10  feet.  That  is  the 
scale  I  would  prescribe.  It  is  sufficiently  large  to  show  the  details 
of  the  position  and  the  dispositions.  We  are  all  familiar  with  it." 

"Sergeant  Yates,  what  orders  would  you  give  to  put  this  decision 
into  operation?" 

"I  would  say,  'Corporal  D,  take  one  man  of  your  squad  and  make 
a  position  sketch  of  the  ground  covered  by  the  detached  post.  The 
scale  will  be  6  inches  to  1  mile.  Have  it  ready  for  me  as  soon  as 
practicable/  " 

Corporal  Johnson  inquires:  "Sergeant  Yates  did  not  state  the  verti- 
cal interval.  Would  he  have  to  do  that?" 

"No,  he  would  not.  When  he  directs  the  scale  at  6  inches  to  1 
mile  it  is  understood  that  the  normal  vertical  interval  will  be  em- 
ployed. That  is  10  feet." 

Continuing  to, Sergeant  Yates:  "Suppose  Corporal  D  asks  you, 
'How  far  am  I  to  extend  the  sketch  to  the  front  and  flanks?'  what 
answer  would  you  give  him?" 

"The  purpose  of  the  sketch  is  to  show  the  position  covered  by 
the  detached  post.  On  it  I  will  want  to  show  the  various  elements 
and  the  routes  of  patrols.  You  will  have  to  extend  it  sufficiently  for 
that  purpose.  Are  there  any  other  questions?" 

The  Director  explains:  "Having  gotten  this  work  under  way,  the 
next  question  that  Sergeant  L  will  have  to  consider  is  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  position  for  defense.  Sergeant  Hamilton,  what  does  this 
involve?" 

"Well,  sir,  he  would  have  to  select  the  place  where  the  fire  trench 
is  to  be  located.  He  would  have  to  determine  the  class  of  trench 
that  is  to  be  dug,  and  he  would  have  to  arrange  for  obstacles  in 
front  of  the  trench." 

"Would    you    have   more    than    one    fire    trench?" 

"No,  sir.     For  such  a  small  command,  I  think  not." 


A  Detached  Post  99 

"In  an  isolated  position  of  this  kind  the  flanks  are  especially  vul- 
nerable. How  would  you  provide  for  that  contingency?" 

"I  would  simply  turn  the  ends  of  the  trench  back  a  little  to  provide 
a  field  of  fire  to  the  flanks." 

"In  which  case,"  remarks  the  Director,  "all  the  men  in  the  section 
of  the  trench  that  has  been  refused,  or  turned  back,  as  you  call  it, 
would  come  under  a  flanking  fire  directed  at  the  main  trench  from 
the  front." 

"I  don't  know  just  how  I  would  get  around  that  without  a  high 
traverse  that  would  defilade  that  section  of  the  trench.  That  would 
be  objectionable  on  account  of  being  conspicuous.  I  don't  know 
what  I  would  do  in  that  case." 

"How  would  it  do  to  provide  for  the  flanks  by  placing  short  sec- 
tions of  trenches  in  echelon  to  the  main  fire  trench?" 

The  Director  explains  this  system  by  drawing  a  main  fire  trench 
on  the  ground  and  placing  others  echeloned  on  the  flanks. 

"That  would  solve  the  problem,  sir,"  remarks  Sergeant  Hamilton. 

"Is  there  any  member  of  the  class  that  does  not  thoroughly  under- 
stand this  system?"  If  you  are  ever  called  upon  to  organize  the 
defense  of  a  position  such  as  this,  do  you  think  you  would  know  how 
to  go  about  it?" 

Passing  on  to  the  next  phase  of  the  solution,  the  Director  states: 

"Sergeant  James,  what  factors  are  to  be  considered  in  the  location 
of  your  main  fire  trench?" 

"The  first  thing  is  a  field  of  fire.  If  the  enemy  can  get  up  close 
to  the  trench  under  cover,  he  will  have  a  good  chance  to  capture  it. 
We  must  have  a  field  of  fire  to  the  front  for  several  hundred  yards. 
The  next  thing  is  the  concealment  of  the  trench.  If  we  put  it  along 
the  edge  of  a  wood,  for  instance,  the  enemy  will  have  a  good  aiming 
point  and  shower  us  with  a  hail  of  bullets  aimed  at  the  ground  at 
the  edge  of  the  woods.  In  this  case  I  would  put  my  trench  out  in 
front  of  the  woods,  say,  50  to  75  yards.  This  would  probably  save  us 
many  casualties." 

"Having  in  mind  the  factors  just  discussed,  Sergeant  Yates,  where 
would  you  locate  the  main  fire  trench?" 

This  phase  of  the  problem  will  have  to  be  worked  out  oh  the 
ground  itself.  The  same  -procedure  is  followed  with  respect  to  the 
trenches  echeloned  on  the  flarik.  This  proposition  is  taken  up  in 
detail  in  the  Tactical  Walk,  "A  Defensive  Position." 

The   Director  now  proceeds  to  the  next  phase  of  the  solution: 

"Sergeant  Williams,  what  factors  determine  the  trace  of  the  fire 
trench?" 

"There  are  several — concealment  of  the  trench,  protection  from  the 
enemy's  fire,  arrangements  for  the  delivery  of  an  effective  fire  on  the 
enemy,  and  the  drainage  of  the  trench  when  the  position  is  to  be 
occupied  for  any  length  of  time." 


100  Tactical  Walks 

"Corporal  Willis,  what  is  the  best  method  of  concealing  the 
trench?" 

"To  make  it  as  invisible  as  possible.  This  may  be  accomplished 
by  the  elimination  of  parapets,  or,  in  case  they  are  absolutely  neces- 
sary, by  Dlending  them  into  the  landscape/' 

"Corporal  Hardy,  how  would  you  provide  protection  from  the 
enemy's  fire  from  the  front  and  flanks?" 

"We  provide  against  frontal  fire  by  digging  the  trench  deep 
enough  so  that  our  men  can  get  down  into  it  and  not  have  to 
expose  themselves  except  to  fire.  We  make  the  trench  very  narrow; 
not  over  2  feet  in  width.  To  provide  protection  against  flank  fire 
we  construct  traverses  at  intervals  along  the  trench." 

Explanation 

The  Director  will  draw  a  diagram  on  the  ground  of  a  traversed 
trench,  and  explain  to  the  class  the  part  that  the  traverse  plays 
in  the  protection  of  the  men  in  the  trench.  If  time  is  available,  it 
may  be  well  to  have  the  class  lay  out  the  cutting  lines  of  the  trench 
with  tape  or  string.  This  may  be  followed  later  by  the  company 
actually  digging  the  trench  and  preparing  the  position  for  defense. 

Solution  (Continued) 

Corporal  Johnson  inquires :  "What  is  the  length  of  the  trench 
between  the  traverses,  sir?" 

"That  may  depend  somewhat  on  the  lay  of  the  trench.  The 
idea  is  to  provide  a  defiladed  space  under  the  protection  of  each 
traverse.  The  space  in  any  event  should  be  sufficient  for  one  squad 
to  occupy  and  have  sufficient  room  to  fire  their  rifles.  This  means 
over  a  yard  per  man.  I  should  say  the  minimum  would  be  about 
30  feet.  Are  there  any  other  questions? 

"Corporal  Hardy,  what  measures  would  you  provide  for  draining 
the  trench  in  wet  weather?" 

"I  would  put  in  a  covered  drain  at  the  lowest  point  and  drain 
the  water  to  lower  ground  if  possible.  If  it  is  not  practicable  to 
do  this,  I  would  put  in  sump  holes  at  the  lowest  points  and  have 
them  bailed  or  pumped  out." 

"The  next  question,"  explains  the  Director,  "that  will  demand 
Sergeant  L's  attention  is  that  of  the  obstacles  to  be  placed  in  front 
of  the  fire  trench.  Sergeant  Whitehouse,  what  factors  determine 
the  class  of  obstacles  and  their  location?" 

"The  class  depends  upon  the  material  available  for  constructing 
them.  If  there  was  a  road  leading  from  the  enemy  towards  the 
position,  it  should  be  barricaded  by  felling  a  tree  or  two  across 
it  or  piling  up  wagons  or  any  other  available  bulky  objects  across 
it.  If  there  were  lots  of  wire  fences  in  the  vicinity,  it  is  probable 


A  Detached  Post  '01 

that  sufficient  barbed  wire  could  be  secured  to  make  -an"  enl£r),gle-> 
ment.  The  location  should  be  such  that  the  enemy  would  ^cbfae  • 
upon  it  as  a  surprise.  It  should  be  difficult  for  him  to  negotiate. 
It  should  be  within  the  effective  rifle  range  of  crur  position.  It 
should  be  concealed  as  much  as  possible  from  observers  to  the 
front,  for  the  enemy  will  know  that  our  trenches  are  just  on  the 
other  side,  and  it  will  furnish  him  an  aiming  point." 

"Having  these  factors  in  mind,  Sergeant  Edgar,  what  class  of 
obstacle  would  you  provide,  and  where  would  you  locate  it?" 

The  solution  to  this  phase  of  the  problem  will  have  to  be  worked 
out  on  the  ground.  The  class  will  be  conducted  to  the  point  where 
it  is  intended  to  place  the  obstacle  and  the  solution  worked  out  in 
all  its  details. 

"Corporal  Johnson,  what  patrols  would  be  sent  out  during  the 
afternoon?" 

"I  think  Sergeant  L  would  send  out  a  reconnoitering  patrol  several 
miles  to  the  front  to  find  out  wrhat  they  can  about  the  enemy,  and 
stay  out  until  darkness  prevents  further  reconnaissance." 

"How  many  men  would  be  detailed  for  this  patrol?" 

"A  noncommissioned  officer  and  three  men.  It  would  not  be  sup- 
posed to  fight,  and  the  fewer  men  the  better." 

"Would  any  other  patrols  be  sent  out,  Corporal  Willis?" 

"If  any  of  the  enemy's  reconnoitering  patrols  came  to  the  front 
cf  our  position,  sufficient  combat  patrols  to  beat  them  off  and 
prevent  their  reconnaissance  would  be  sent  out." 

The  Director  explains  :  "By  this  time  Corporal  D  will  have  fin- 
ished the  sketch  of  the  position,  and  Sergeant  L  is  now  ready  to 
make  the  report  of  his  dispositions  to  the  detachment  commander. 
What  elements  would  be  included  in  such  a  report,  Sergeant 
Hughes?" 

"Sergeant  L  would  include  in  his  report  the  fact  that  he  has 
established  the  detached  post  at  (h)  ;  the  location  of  his  main  body 
and  the  number  and  location  of  his  covering  detachments;  the  fact 
that  communication  has  been  established  with  the  flank  element  of 
the  general  outpost  line;  that  reconnoitering  patrols  have  been 
sent  out  to  the  front.  Should  any  information  of  the  enemy  have 
been  obtained,  it  would  have  been  sent  in  immediately." 

"Now  let  each  member  of  the  class  assume  that  he  has  the  map 
made  by  Corporal  D* ;  that  he  is  ready  to  render  his  report.  I 
want  each  of  you  to  write  out  on  your  memorandum  pads  the  report 
that  you,  as  Sergeant  L,  would  make." 

Some  ten  minutes  will  be  allowed  for  this,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  the  Director  will  require  several  members  of  the  class  to  read 


*If  it  is  practicable  to  do  so-,  the  Director  should  have  had  a  map  prepared  of 
the  position  and  made  a  copy  for  each  member  of  the  class.  This  introduces  an 
element  of  realism  in  the  problem  and  makes  it  more  interesting. 


102  Tactical  Walks 

what  they  have  wrKien.  Errors  will  be  pointed  out  as  they  occur 
and  a  solution  finally  arrived  at  based  on  the  elements  above  stated, 
as  follows : 

Commanding  Officer,  Blue  Detachment: 

Detached  post  established  at  (h) .  Troops:  Third  Platoon,  Com- 
pany   .  Strength :  Five  noncommissioned  officers  and  twenty- 
eight  privates.  Main  body  intrenched  at  (describe  point).  Two 
Cossack  posts  established,  all  as  shown  on  sketch  herewith.  Have 
established  communication  with  flank  element  of  general  outpost 
line.  Reconnoitering  patrol  sent  towards  (c),  with  instructions  to 
remain  out  until  dark. 

L, 
Sergeant. 

"The  next  element  of  the  problem  that  Sergeant  L  will  have  to 
make  provision  for  is  the  night  arrangements.  What  factors  will 
determine  his  night  dispositions,  Sergeant  Budd?" 

"At  night  the  operations  of  the  enemy  will  be  confined  to  the 
roads  and  well-defined  trails.  The  moment  that  he  departs  from 
these  his  difficulties  begin  to  multiply.  His  combinations  fail  to 
materialize.  Communication  between  the  elements  of  his  command 
is  lost  and  his  operations  generally  end  in  failure,  if  not  in  disaster. 
Any  position  that  it  is  intended  to  attack  at  night  must  be  recon- 
noitered  in  detail  during  the  daytime  and  all  the  arrangements  made 
while  it  is  yet  daylight.  The  enemy  has  made  no  such  reconnois- 
sance  of  our  position.  It  can  hardly  be  expected  that  he  will  attack 
tonight.  If  Sergeant  L  covers  the  main  road  (or  other  approach) 
with  a  comparatively  strong  outguard  and  patrols  the  country  in 
the  vicinity,  it  ought  to  meet  the  situaion." 

"Those  are  the  logical  conclusions  one  would  draw,"  remarks  the 
Director.  "Sergeant  Wadsworth,  what  tactical  dispositions  would 
you  make  to  meet  this  situation?" 

"I  would  combine  the  two  Cossack  posts  into  a  sentry  squad  and 
post  them  at .  I  would  send  patrols  at  intervals  in  the  direc- 
tion of  and  ." 

Discussion 

"I  think  that  would  meet  the  situation  admirably,"  says  the  Direc- 
tor. Then,  continuing:  "Is  there  any  phase  of  this  problem  that 
we  have  gone  over  that  any  member  of  the  class  does  not  under- 
stand and  know  the  reasons  therefor?  I  want  to  feel  assured  that 
if  any  one  of  you  were  called  up  by  your  commanding  officer,  given 
a  platoon  of  troops,  and  ordered  to  establish  a  detached  post,  you 
would  be  able  to  go  about  it  systematically  and  intelligently,  without 
wasting  the  time  and  energy  of  the  men  under  you.  We  are  going 
to  do  this  very  thing  with  a  platoon  of  the  company  in  a  few  days, 


A  Detached  Post  103 

and  I  want  each  of  you  that  participate  in  that  exercise  to  display 
the  knowledge  that  you  have  gained  this  afternoon.  Are  there  any 
questions?  There  appear  to  be  none.  The  session  of  the  class 
is  adjourned." 


Problem  No.  6  Card  No.  2 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Conduct  class  to  point  where  the  detached  post  is  to  be  established. 

2.  Hand    out   cards    bearing    Situation   No.   2.      State   that   each   of   the   eight 

requirements   will    be   taken    up    separately. 

3.  Review  elements  of  the  requirements:      (a)   Halting  platoon.      (&)   Covering 

detachment.  (c)  Communication  with  general  outpost  line,  (rf)  Out- 
guards.  O)  Sketch  and  report.  (f)  Preparation  of  position  for 
defense.  (#)  Patrols,  (h)  Night  dispositions. 

4.  Make  examination  of  country  in  vicinity. 


Problem  No.  6  Card  No.  3 

DIRECTOR'S   KEY 

1.  Halting   platoon. 

2.  Use  of  whistle. 

3.  Connecting  files. 

4.  Concealment  of  main  body. 

5.  Covering  troops. 

6.  Orders  to  Corporal  A. 

7.  Order  of  march  of  the  column. 


Problem  No.  6  Card  No.  4 

DIRECTOR'S   KEY 

1.  Getting   in    communication   with   outposts. 

2.  Orders   to    Corporal    C. 

3.  Establishment   of   outguards.      Number.      Location   and   strength. 

4.  Sentry    squads   and    Cossack    posts. 

5.  Troops  for  Cossack  posts. 

6.  Orders   for   Corporal   B   and  Private   M,   Cossack   post  commanders. 


104  Tactical  Walks 


Problem  No.  6  Card  No.  5 

DIRECTOR'S   KEY 

1.  Making    sketch    of    position. 

2.  Scale    of    sketch 

3.  Orders    for    Corporal    D. 

4.  Elements    in    preparing   position    for    defense:      Location    of    trenches;    type 

of   trenches;    obstacles. 

5.  Echelon   trench   on   flank. 

6.  Type  of  trench.     Trace  of  cutting  lines,  traverses,  and  drainage. 


Problem  No.  6  Card  No.  6 

DIRECTOR'S   KEY 

1.  Obstacles:      Class,   location,   concealment. 

2.  Patrols:     Number,  composition,  how  long  remain  out. 

3.  Report  of  detachment  commander.     Elements  of  report.     Wording  of  report. 

4.  Night  dispositions.      Elements  that  effect. 

5.  Short   talk   to   class   on   problem.      Dismiss   class. 


TACTICAL  WALK  No.  7 

A  Defensive  Position 
The  Problem 

General    Situation: 

The  (a)  forms  the  boundary  between  hostile  States.  A  Blue 
invading  force  is  operating  in  the  (fr)  district.  The  line  of  communi- 
cations is  along  the  (c)  from  (d)  to  (V),  where  an  advance  base 
has  been  established.  Enemy  raiding  parties  have  been  operating 
against  the  line  of  communications. 
Special  Situation,  Blue: 

The  third  batalion  has  been  detailed  to  guard  the  line  of  com- 
munications from  (/)  to  (g).  Company  M  has  been  ordered  to 
furnish  detachments  to  guard  the  (h)  and  (i).  The  company  (less 
the  third  platoon)  will  be  stationed  at  (»)•  The  third  platoon,  under 
the  command  of  Sergeant  D,  has  been  assigned  to  guard  this  point 
(/).  You,  Sergeant  D,  have  arrived  here  with  your  platoon. 
Required : 

What  orders   would   you  give   your  platoon  at  this   time? 

Explanation  of  Letter  Symbols 

(a)  Some  topographical  or  geographical  feature  that  is  well  known  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  class,  such  as  a  river,  creek,  canal,  or  range  of  hills,  etc. 

(fc)  A  section  of  country  some  distance  away  in  the  enemy's  territory.  This 
may  be  designated  by  the  name  of  some  natural  feature,  as  a  lake,  or  by  some  town, 
river,  or  other  locality  which  is  known,  as  "The  Round  Lake  District,"  or  "The 
Keysville  District,"  "or  "The  Platte  River  District,"  etc. 

(c)  Some   feature   that   may  be  logically  used  as  a   line   of   communication,   as  a 
railroad,   a  main   road,   a   canal,   or   a   river,   as  "Atchison   Pike,"    "Warrenton-Orange 
Road,"  "The  Delaware  and  Hudson  Railroad,"  or  "Ohio  River." 

(d)  The   point    ot    the    boundary    where    the    line    of    communication    enters    the 
hostile    country. 

(e)  The    point    to    the    front    in    hostile    territory    where    the    advance    base    has 
been  established. 

(/)    Some  point  on  the  line  of  communication  nearer  to    (d)    than  is    (fir). 

(g)  Another  point  on  the  line  of  communication  farther  towards  the  advance 
base  (*). 

(A)  Some  point  on  the  line  of  communication  near  the  point  (»)  and  a  more 
important  place.  This  is  to  make  it  appear  that  it  is  the  logical  place  for  the 
bulk  of  the  company. 

(t)  The  point  selected  for  the  station  of  the  third  platoon  of  the  company  under 
the  command  of  Sergeant  D,  which  is  the  9rganization  to  be  considered  in  this 
Tactical  Walk.  This  point  may  be  a  small  railroad  bridge,  an  important  cross-road, 
a  canal  utility,  a  ford  of  a  stream,  or  other  place  suitable  for  bringing  out  the 
elements  to  be  considered  in  the  preparation  of  a  position  for  defense. 

(/)    The    point   mentioned    in    (t.) 

Procedure 

The  class  is  conducted  to  the  point  (i)  designated  in  the  problem, 
where  it  is  intended  to  conduct  the  Tactical  Walk. 

The  cards  bearing  the  problem  are  passed  out  by  the  Director. 
The  members  of  the  class  are  informed  that  each  man  is  to  now 


106  Tactical  Walks 

consider  himself  as  being  Sergeant  D  and  to  assume  that  he  has  just 
arrived  at  the  point  with  his  platoon,  consisting  of  a  sergeant  (guide) 
and  four  complete  squads ;  that  the  platoon  has  been  halted  in  col- 
umn of  squads,  and  that  the  first  squad,  which  has  been  acting  as 
advance  guard,  is  some  200  yards  ahead.  The  platoon  is  waiting 
for  instructions. 

The  Director  reads  the  problem  aloud.  The  men  follow  from  the 
cards  in  their  possession.  The  Director  calls  upon  a  member  of 
the  class  to  state  the  military  situation  as  he  understands  it.  This 
process  is  repeated  until  he  is  satisfied  that  every  man  is  familiar 
with  each  element  of  the  tactical  situation.  He  then  instructs  the 
men  to  make  a  memorandum  on  their  pads,  showing  the  elements 
that  would  be  included  in  the  orders  that  Sergeant  D  would  issue 
to  the  platoon  at  this  time.  Some  ten  minutes  are  allowed  for  this 
purpose,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  proceeds  with  the  solution 
of  the  problem. 

Solution 

"Sergeant  Hughes,  you  may  state  the  'information  of  the  enemy 
and  our  own  troops,'  the  first  part  of  a  field  order,"  says  the 
Director. 

Referring  to  his  memorandum,  Sergeant  Hughes  proceeds:  "Enemy 
raiding  parties  have  been  operating  against  our  line  of  communica- 
tions to  the  extent  that  it  has  become  necessary  to  guard  same. 
Our  forces  are  operating  in  the  (b)  district.  The  line  of  communi- 
cations extend  along  the  (c)  from  (d)  to  (<?)•  Our  battalion  has 
been  assigned  as  a  guard  for  the  section  from  (/)  to  (#).  Our 
company  occupies  (h)  and  this  point,  the  company  (less  this  platoon) 
at  (A).* 

"Sergeant  Williams,  how  would  you  state  the  mission  of  the 
platoon?" 

"The  platoon  will  occupy  this   point  and   prepare   it  for  defense." 

The  Director  explains  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  have  some  de- 
tachments posted  to  protect  the  platoon  from  surprise  while  the  ele- 
ments of  the  defense  are  being  worked  out  and  the  necessary  meas- 
ures taken.  He  further  explains  that  these  detachments  may  consist 
of  Cossack  posts  for  the  time  being. 

"What  would  be  included  in  your  disposition  of  troops,  Sergeant 
Eaton?"  asks  the  Director. 

"Sergeant  B  (guide)  will,  with  the  first  squad  (now  on  advance 
guard  duty)  establish  two  Cossack  posts  covering  the  position  (point- 
ing out  the  general  location  of  the  posts).  The  functions  of  the 
advance  guard  as  such  will  cease.  Each  corporal  place  his  squad 
(indicates  place).  Have  the  men  take  off  their  packs  and  pile  them 

*The   letter   references    are   to    the    same   points   and    localities    as   those   stated 
in  the  problem  proper. 


A  Defensive  Position  107 

in  squad  piles.  Secure  intrenchment  tools  from  the  wagon  to  equip 
squads  and  hold  men  in  readiness  to  begin  work.  Keep  the  belts 
on,  and  have  the  men  retain  their  rifles." 

"And   the   final   elements,   Sergeant   Waring?" 

"There  will  be  individual  cooking  until  further  arrangements  are 
made. 

"Messages    here. 

"Post  your  covering  detachments,  Sergeant  B.  Corporals  take 
charge  of  their  squads." 

Procedure 

The  memoranda  made  by  the  members  of  the  class  are  collected 
and  again  distributed.  Care  is  taken  that  no  man  receives  his  own 
memorandum  back  again. 

Discussion 

The  Director  states:  "You  will  observe  that  in  issuing  the  order 
we  have  followed  the  general  form  prescribed  by  the  Field  Service 
Regulations;  that  is,  we  gave  the  information  of  the  enemy  and 
our  own  troops;  we  stated  the  mission  of  the  platoon;  we  made 
the  disposition  of  troops  in  the  order  of  their  proximity  towards 
the  enemy,  and  gave  such  special  instructions  as  were  necessary; 
we  made  arrangements  for  supply,  and  we  stated  where  messages 
may  be  sent  or  the  commander  may  be  found.  If  you  will  get  these 
elements  firmly  fixed  in  your  mind  and  refer  to  them  mentally  when- 
ever it  becomes  necessary  to  issue  a  tactical  order  there  will  be  little 
chance  of  your  omitting  some  important  element  of  the  order.  This 
same  procedure  is  followed  in  all  tactical  orders,  whether  they  be 
intended  for  a  small  patrol  or  an  entire  division. 

"Now,  our  platoon  may  remain  here  for  several  days,  and  maybe 
several  weeks,  so  that  one  of  the  first  things  that  Sergeant  D 
would  have  to  do  is  to  provide  for  the  necessary  sanitary  arrange- 
ments. 

"What  would  you  do  to  provide  for  this  contingency  at  this  time, 
Sergeant  Edgar?"  says  the  Director. 

"I  would  order:  'Corporal  M,  take  your  squad  and  dig  a  latrine 
(indicating  the  point).  Make  it  deep  enough  for  several  days' 
use,  and  screen  it.' " 


108  Tactical  Walks 


DIRECTOR'S   KEY 
Problem  No.  7  Card  No.  1 

1.  Take  class  to  place  where  Tactical  Walk  is  to  be  conducted. 

2.  Hand  out  cards  bearing  problem  and  requirement. 

3.  Read  problem   aloud.      Ask  questions  until  all   are   familiar   with  it.      Make 

memorandum    solutions. 

4.  Solution:        Orders.       Information    of    enemy    and    own    troops.       Mission. 

Explain  necessity  for  covering  detachments.  Disposition  of  troops, 
O)  covering  detachments;  (fc)  action  to  be  taken  by  squad  leaders. 
Supply.  Messages. 

5.  Collect    and    distribute    memorandums. 

6.  Explain   elements   of  field   order. 

7.  Make     preliminary     sanitary    arrangements. 


The  Problem 
Situation  No.  2: 

You  are  now  ready  to  proceed  with  the  organization  of  your  de- 
fensive  position. 
Required: 

How  do  you  size  up  the  situation  in  general? 

Explanation 

The  Director  explains  that  the  requirement  is  only  another  term 
for  "an  estimate  of  the  situation,"  which  includes  the  elements : 

1.  The   mission. 

2.  Considerations  affecting  the  enemy. 

3.  Considerations    affecting   our   own    forces. 

4.  The   influence   of  the   terrain. 

5.  The  decision. 

Procedure 

The  Director  states  :  "Now,  having  these  five  elements  in  mind, 
I  desire  each  of  you  to  make  a  memorandum  on  your  pads  of  your 
discussion  of  them  based  on  the  actual  conditions  that  you  can  see 
before  you  and  the  provisions  of  the  problem  that  we  have  under 
consideration." 

Some  fifteen  minutes  will  be  allowed  for  this,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  the  class  will  be  assembled  and  the  solution  taken  up  in  detail. 

Solution 

"Sergeant  Hamilton,  what  do  you  understand  the  mission  of  the 
platoon  to  be?"  asks  the  Director. 

"To  occupy  this  point  on  the  line  of  communication  and  hold  if." 

"What  points  would  you  consider  with  respect  to  the  enemy, 
Sergeant  James;  that  is,  what  points  in  general?" 

"I  would  consider  his  location,  his  probable  intentions,  his  powers 
and  limitations." 


A  Defensive  Position  109 

"What  points  would  you  consider  with  respect  to  his  location?" 

"Well,  sir,  his  main  body  in  the  (b)  district  would  be  opposing 
our  main  forces  there.  Only  his  raiding  parties  may  operate  against 
our  communications.  His  main  forces  will  be  too  busily  occupied 
for  such  adventures." 

"What  class  of  troops  would  he  then  have  available  for  his  raiding 
parties?"  asks  the  Director? 

"They  would  be  cavalry.  When  the  two  main  bodies  come  to- 
gether the  cavalry  transfers  its  activities  to  the  flanks.  '  It  is 
crowded  out,  so  to  speak.  It  is  then  available  for  raids  on  the 
opponent's  lines  of  communication.  The  mounted  troops  have  great 
mobility,  and  can  get  from  place  to  place  rapidly.  They  may  have 
horse  or  mountain  artillery  attached.  The  infantry  cannot  get 
around  fast  enough  for  raiders.  Besides,  they  are  needed  to  oppose 
our  main  body,  and  would  not  be  frittered  away  in  that  manner." 

"Assuming,  then,  that  Sergeant  D  will  have  only  mounted  troops 
of  the  enemy  to  deal  with,  what  are  their  limitations?" 

"The  activities  of  any  body  worth  mentioning  will  practically  be 
confined  to  the  roads.  They  cannot  make  their  way  rapidly  across 
country  on  account  of  the  wire  fences  and  other  obstacles/' 

"What  is  their  method  of  attack?" 

"To  swoop  down  upon  a  place,  do  all  the  damage  they  can,  and 
make  a  get-away  before  other  troops  can  come  to  the  assistance 
of  those  in  trouble." 

*To  what  class  of  points  will  they  confine  their  activities?" 

"To  such  points  that  will  really  disable  and  interrupt  our  lines  of 
communication,"  answers  the  sergeant. 

Explanation 

The  remainder  of  this  discussion  will  depend  entirely  upon  the 
character  of  the  line  of  communication.  In  the  case  of  a  railroad, 
the  points  to  bring  out  are  that  the  enemy  would  not  waste  his 
time  and  energy  tearing  up  railroad  tracks  that  could  be  replaced  in 
a  few  hours.  He  would  endeavor  to  blow  up  a  bridge,  culvert,  or 
tunnel,  that  would  tie  up  the  system  for  days  and  perhaps  weeks. 
In  the  case  of  a  road,  he  would  endeavor  to  burn  or  destroy 
wagon  bridges  or  attack  trains  of  supplies  moving  forward  along 
the  road.  He  could  do  no  damage  to  the  road  proper  that  could 
not  be  repaired  and  made  passable  in  a  few  hours.  In  the  case  of  a 
canal,  he  would  confine  his  activities  to  utilities,  such  as  locks, 
dams,  and  spillways,  that  could  be  put  out  of  commission  and  really 
disable  the  line  of  communication.  These  points  will  be  brought  out 
by  the  Director  to  cover  the  elements  of  the  problem. 

Solution  (Continued) 
"Now,   Corporal  Harrison,  our  next   element  deals   with   our  own 


110  Tactical  Walks 

forces — their  strength  and  position,  their  dispositions,  and  the 
measures  that  may  be  taken  to  circumvent  the  enemy.  What  can 
you  say  about  the  strength  and  dispositions?" 

"In  guarding  a  line  of  communications  we  place  bodies  of  troops, 
varying  in  size,  according  to  the  importance  of  the  place.  These 
are  located  at  the  strategic  points.  The  intervening  country  be- 
tween these  detachments  is  patrolled.  The  positions  they  occupy 
are  strengthened  with  field  fortifications  in  order  to  increase  the 
defensive  power  of  the  troops." 

"What  are  the  general  duties  that  devolve  upon  these  detach- 
ments?" 

"Their  first  duty  is  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  getting  close 
enough  to  the  utility  they  are  guarding  to  destroy  it.  They  furnish 
patrols  to  cover  the  country  between  the  positions  occupied.  They 
i:iay  be  called  upon  to  furnish  escorts  for  convoys  moving  back 
and  forth  along  the  lines  of  communication.  In  the  case  of  trains, 
they  may  be  called  upon  to  furnish  train  guards." 

"Considering  this  special  situation  with  which  we  have  to  deal, 
how  would  these  principles  be  applied?" 

"In  this  case  we  have  a  battalion  covering  important  points  along 
the  line  from  (/)  to  (g).  Our  company  has  a  detachment  at  (h) 
and  this  platoon  here.  The  next  detachment  to  our  front  is  at  00*. 
We  would  have  to  hold  this  place  against  any  force  of  the  enemy 
that  may  attack  us.  In  order  to  increase  our  defensive  powers,  we 
would  construct  a  system  of  trenches  and  organize  a  regular  defense 
of  the  position.  We  would  have  to  furnish  patrolling  parties  from 
here  to  a  point  halfway  between  (h)  and  O).  When  called  upon  to 
do  so,  we  may  have  to  furnish  escorts  from  here  to  (#)  for  trains." 

Explanation 

The  remainder  of  this  estimate,  like  that  above,  would  depend  en- 
tirely upon  the  character  of  the  line  of  communication.  The  Direc- 
tor will  proceed  in  accordance  therewith. 

Solution  (Continued) 

The  Director,  addressing  Corporal  Jones,  states:  "We  now  come 
to  a  consideration  of  the  terrain.  What  would  you  include  in  that 
part  of  your  estimate  of  the  situation?" 

Having  decided  that  the  enemy's  raiding  parties  would  be  mounted 
troops,  and  that  their  operations  would,  as  a  rule,  be  confined  to  the 
roads  we  would  naturally  arrange  our  defense  primarily  to  cover  the 
roads  and  then  as  time  is  available  extend  it  to  cover  any  contin- 
gency. 


*  Naming  the  location. 


A  Defensive  Position  111 

Explanation 

The  class  will  be  conducted  to  the  various  points  of  the  position 
and  the  influence  of  the  terrain  on  the  preparations  for  defense 
studied. 

Solution  (Continued) 

"What,  then,  would  be  your  decision,  Corporal  Smithers?" 
"I  would  decide   to  construct  field  fortifications   to   cover  the  ap- 
proaches and  then  gradually  extend   the  same   to   cover  every  con- 
tingency as  time  is  available/* 

Explanation 

This  method  of  bringing  out  the  elements  of  the  estimate  of  the 
situation  will  have  to  be  carried  out  by  the  Director  and  the  ques- 
tions asked  will  naturally  depend  upon  the  previous  training  that 
the  noncommissioned  officers  have  had.  It  should  be  the  endeavor 
to  have  the  points  considered  in  their  regular  order.  That  is  what 
«:onstitutes  the  technique  of  solving  the  problem  and  that  is  what 
you  want  to  drill  into  the  men.  The  idea  is  that  when  they  are 
put  up  against  tactical  situations  they  will  go  about  their  solution 
in  a  methodical  and  systematic  manner  and  arrive  at  a  clean-cut 
decision  as  to  just  what  they  are  going  to  do  to  meet  the  situation. 
!f  they  have  a  definite  idea  of  the  elements  that  enter  into  the 
proposition  there  is  little  likelihood  of  their  missing  essential  parts. 

Procedure 

Collect  and  redistribute  the  memoranda   made  by  the  men. 


Problem  No.  7  Card  No.  2 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Hand   out   cards   bearing   Situation   No.   2. 

2.  Explain    elements    of    an    estimate    of    the    situation:        (a)    Mission.        (6) 

Enemy.       (c)    Own    troops.       (d)    Influence   of    terrain.       (0)    Decision. 

3.  Direct   class  to   make    memorandum    of   solution. 

4.  Solution: 

(1)  Mission. 

(2)  Considerations     affecting    enemy:         (a)     Location.         (&)     Probable 

intentions.      (c)    Powers   and  limitations. 

(3)  Own    troops:       (a)    Method    of   guarding   a   line   of   communication. 

(£>)    Distribution  of  troops,      (c)    Duties  of  detachments. 

(4)  Terrain.       Approaches. 

(5)  Decision. 

5.  Explain  method  of  making  estimate  of  the  situation.     The   technique. 


The   Problem 
Situation  No.  3: 

You  are  now  ready  to  proceed  with  the  organization  of  your  posi- 
tion and  the  determination  of  the  location  of  the  fire  trenches,  the 
trenches  for  the  garrison  and  the  communicating  trenches. 


112  Tactical  Walks 

Required: 

How  would  you  go  about  it? 

Explanation 

The  Director  explains:  "In  the  organization  of  a  defensive  posi- 
tion covering  a  point  of  this  kind  provision  must  be  made  to  meet 
an  attack  from  any  direction.  We  therefore  provide  a  system  of  fire 
trenches  with  that  object  in  view.  We  hold  the  main  body  of  the 
defending  force  in  a  central  position  from  which  it  may  be  moved 
into  the  trenches  covering  the  front  over  which  the  enemy  has  se- 
lected to  make  his  attack. 

"In  proceeding  to  the  organization  of  the  position  Sergeant  D 
will  first  go  over  the  ground  covering  the  front  where  he  has  esti- 
mated that  the  enemy  is  most  likely  to  attack.  He  will  select  the 
general  line  that  the  fire  trench  is  to  occupy  and  lay  out  the  cutting 
lines  of  the  trench.  In  order  that  no  time  may  be  wasted  in  the 
preparation  of  the  position  he  will  put  the  men  to  work  on  this 
trench  while  he  is  selecting  the  location  for  the  other  fire  trenches. 
Having  completed  this  he  will  select  some  central  point  for  the 
location  of  his  cover  for  the  garrison  and  having  decided  upon 
this  and  laid  out  the  cutting  lines  he  considers  the  location  of  the 
communicating  trenches  from  the  supports  to  the  fire  trenches. 
This  is  the  general  outline  of  the  procedure  to  be  employed  in  the 
organization  of  a  defensive  position  of  this  class/' 

Procedure 

The  class  is  conducted  to  a  point  overlooking  the  foreground 
over  which  it  has  been  estimated  that  the  enemy  is  most  likely  to 
attack. 

Solution 

"In  choosing  the  location  for  the  trenches  at  this  point  the  first 
thing  to  consider  is  the  field  of  fire.  Sergeant  Hughes,  just  where 
would  you  locate  a  trench  here  to  secure  the  best  field  of  fire?" 

"What  is  the  minimum  field  of  fire  that  you  think  we  would  re- 
quire here,  sir?"  asks  the  sergeant. 

"You  may  answer  that  question,  Corporal  Harrison,"  says  the 
Director. 

"We  would  want  all  we  could  get.  I  understand  that  it  has  been 
found  in  the  European  war  that  if  there  is  a  field  of  fire  of  150%  to 
200  yards  any  reasonable  force  of  the  enemy  can  be  stopped.  I 
would  want  a  minimum  here  of,  say,  800  yards."* 

"We  will  assume,  Sergeant  Hughes,  that  the  field  of  fire  that  you 
see  to  the  front  is  sufficient.  Now  where  would  you  locate  your 
trench  to  cover  it?" 


*This  number  would  have  to  agree  with  that  which  is  available. 


A  Defensive  Position  113 

The  sergeant  will  be  required  to  point  out  the  general  line  of  the 
trench,  just  as  if  he  were  Sergeant  D  and  the  responsibility  of  de- 
termining the  matter  was  up  to  him. 

The  next  question  for  decision  is  :  "What  kind  of  a  trench  is  to 
he  dug?"  The  experience  of  the  war  in  Europe  dictates  that  the 
trench  should  be  deep  and  narrow,  with  scarcely  any  parapet  at 
all.  This  enables  us  to  conceal  the  trench  easily,  it  requires  the 
removal  of  less  soil,  and  gives  better  protection  from  artillery  fire. 
The  height  of  the  parapet  will  depend  somewhat  on  the  lay  of  the 
ground.  It  is  necessary  to  get  a  field  of  fire.  If  it  is  necessary  to 
raise  the  parapet  for  this  purpose,  it  will  have  to  be  done  and 
other  artifices  resorted  to  for  concealment,  such  as  sodding  or 
blending  it  into  the  surrounding  landscape. 

"How  wide  would  you  have  the  trench,  Sergeant  Williams?"  asks 
the  Director. 

"I  would  want  it  as  narrow  as  possible.  I  should  say  that  2  feet 
would  be  the  limit." 

In  a  position  of  this  class,  it  is  impossible  to  say  just  how  many 
men  may  be  needed  on  any  front.  The  enemy  may  launch  his 
attack  on  one  front  and  work  his  way  around  to  the  flanks.  His 
main  idea  will  be  to  get  sufficiently  close  to  the  utility  that  we  are 
guarding  to  damage  it.  The  defense  will  commit  only  such  men 
to  action  as  are  necessary  to  cover  a  sector  of  the  front  that  is  be- 
ing threatened.  The  remainder  will  be  held  under  cover  at  the 
Central  point,  ready  to  occupy  any  part  of  the  defenses  that  may 
be  threatened. 

Note:  The  number  of  yards  of  trench  to  be  put  in  at  any  one 
point  will  depend  upon  the  number  of  rifles  that  will  be  required  to 
cover  the  foreground.  A  little  over  a  yard  per  man  will  be  allowed. 
Ordinarily  a  single  line  in  a  position  like  this  would  be  constructed 
10  accommodate  two  squads.  Care  should  be  taken  in  selecting 
the  trace  of  the  trench  that  it  covers  the  foreground. 

Procedure     • 

After  this  process  is  completed  at  one  point,  the  class  will  be 
conducted  to  the  various  points  where  the  Director  considers  it 
necessary  to  place  the  trenches,  and  after  going  over  each  position 
thoroughly  in  the  manner  indicated,  one  of  the  places  will  be 
selected  and  the  class  required  to  actually  lay  out  the  trenches 
on  the  ground. 

Note:  After  all  the  details  of  the  position  have  been  worked  out. 
it  will  make  an  interesting  exercise  to  have  the  company  go  out 
and  actually  dig  the  trenches  and  Organize  the  position. 

Solution 
The    class   will   now   be   conducted   to   some   central   point,   where 


114  Tactical  Walks 

it  is  explained  that  arrangements  will  be  made  for  the  housing 
of  the  garrison.  This  is  accomplished  by  means  of  a  trench  more 
commodious  than  the  fire  trench,  where  overhead  cover  may  be 
provided  and  where  the  men  can  live  in  comparative  comfort.  This 
position  will  be  located  with  reference  to  the  fire  trenches. 

"Sergeant  Eaton,  where  would  you  locate  the  shelter  for  the 
garrison?"  asks  the  Director. 

The  sergeant  will  be  required  to  point  out  the  location.  After 
this,  the  type  of  shelter  will  be  decided  upon  and  worked  out  in 
detail,  including  the  tracing  of  the  cutting  lines,  on  the  ground. 

The  question  of  communicating  trenches  must  now  be  considered; 
that  is,  trenches  by  which  the  defenders  may  go  from  the  garrison 
shelter  to  the  various  fire  trenches  without  being  subjected  to  the 
fire  of  attackers  while  en  route.  The  line  of  these  trenches  will  be 
pointed  out  on  the  ground.  Advantage  will  be  taken  of  any  natural 
cover  that  may  be  available,  and  such  zigzags  and  offsets  as  may 
be  necessary  will  be  installed. 

With  the  location  of  the  fire  trenches,  the  garrison  trench,  and 
the  communicating  trenches,  the  position  may  be  said  to  be  organ- 
ized. This  may  appear  an  elaborate  process  for  such  a  small  force, 
but  this  is  a  position  that  must  be  held  indefinitely;  and  all  this 
will  have  to  be  done  if  }rou  ever  find  yourself  face  to  face  with  a 
situation  of  the  kind.  If  we  are  ever  called  upon  to  hunt  down  ban- 
dits again,  the  strategic  points  throughout  the  country  will  be  occu- 
pied with  just  such  fortified  posts  as  this,  and  the  detachments  will 
work  out  from  them  in  all  directions.  The  garrisons  will  in  many 
cases  be  not  larger  than  a  company,  and  in  some  may  be  as  smalt 
as  a  half  company  or  platoon.  It  is  these  problems  that  we  want 
to  teach  our  noncommissioned  officers  to  solve.  Probably  there  are 
many  in  the  army  today  that  have  never  given  a  thought  to  a 
situation  similar  to  this. 


Problem  No.  7  Card  No.  3 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Explain    the    general    procedure    to    be    followed    in    the    organization    of    a 

small    defensive   position. 

2.  Conduct  the  class  to   one   of  the   points   where  a   fire  trench  ia  to  be   dug. 

3.  Explain  the   principles   governing  the   selection   of  the   location.      Determine 

the  location  of  the  trench  and  the  type  to  be  employed. 

4.  Conduct  the  class  to  other  points  and  go  over  the  same  procedure. 

5.  Conduct  the  class  to  a  certain  point  and  locate  the  shelter  for  the  garrison 

and   the   communicating  trenches  therefrom  to   the  fire  trenches. 

6.  Go   over  one   or  more   of  these   communicating  trenches   and  point   out  the 

principles    of    their    construction.      Make    use    of    natural    cover    to    save 
digging. 

7.  Explain    the    necessity    for    such    defensive    positions    and    their    employment 

to    cover   points   on   the   lines    of   communication   and    to   cover    strategic 
points  during  the  conduct  of  guerilla  warfare. 


A  Defensive  Position  115 

The  Problem 
Situation  No.  4: 

The  location  of  the  fire  trenches,  shelter  for  the  garrison,  and 
communicating  trenches  have  been  decided  upon.  Work  on  the  fire 
Irenches  has  commenced.  You,  Sergeant  A,  are  now  ready  to 
consider  the  subjects  of  obstacles,  including: 

1.  The  kind  to  be  used. 

2.  The  location  of  them. 
Required: 

How  would   you   go   about  this  task? 

Procedure 

The  Director  conducts  the  class  to  a  point  on  the  system  of  fire 
trenches,  where  he  explains  the  situation  and  directs  the  members 
to  make  a  memorandum  on  their  pads  of  just  what  they  would  do 
to  provide  obstacles  in  front  of  this  particular  part  of  the  position. 
Some  ten  minutes  will  be  allowed  for  this.  At  the  end  of  the  period, 
the  class  is  again  assembled  and  the  solution  of  the  problem  taken  up. 

Solution 

"Sergeant  Waring,  what  is  the  first  thing  that  you  would  con- 
sider in  the  placing  of  obstacles?"  asks  the  Director. 

"Well,  sir,  we  came  to  the  conclusion  when  we  were  sizing  up 
this  situation  that  we  were  in  greater  danger  of  attack  from  cavalry 
than  from  any  other  troops.  That  being  the  case,  it  seems  to  me 
that  the  first  thing  we  ought  to  do  is  to  block  the  road  to  prevent 
a  cavalry  charge  into  our  position." 

"That  seems  to  be  a  good  idea.     How  would  you  go  about  it?" 

"One  of  the  most  effective  measures  that  could  be  taken  here 
would  be  to  fell  trees  across  the  road.  That  would  prevent  cavalry 
charging  into  our  position." 

"That  will  do  all  right  for  the  roads  leading  from  a  flank,  but  it 
would  not  be  the  proper  scheme  for  our  main  road  over  which  our 
transport  has  to  move,"  says  the  Director.  Then,  continuing:  "How 
would  you  provide  for  blocking  these  roads?" 

"I  would  put  in  abatis  extending  from  the  roadway  proper  to  the 
boundary  fences!  Then  I  would  get  a  couple  of  farmers*  wagons 
and  roll  them  into  the  gap  to  block  it.  When  our  trains  come 
along  and  want  to  pass,  the  wagons  can  be  rolled  out  of  the  way 
very  easily.  They  can  be  put  back  in  place  when  they  have  passed." 

"That  would  meet  the  situation  in  a  satisfactory  manner,"  says 
the  Director. 

"Now,  what  is  the  next  point  to  be  considered  in  the  matter  of 
obstacles,  Sergeant  Edgar?" 

"To  decide  what  kind  of  obstacles  we  would  put  in  front  of  the 
trenches  and  where  we  would  put  them,"  replies  Sergeant  Edgar. 


116  Tactical  Walks 

"What   kind   would   you   use?" 

"Barbed  wire,  if  I   could  get  enough." 

"Where  would  you  get  it  from?" 

"1  would  take  it  from  the  fences  in  this  locality.  I  would  not 
take  down  any  wire  fence  immediately  in  front  of  any  of  our  trenches, 
for  they  already  constitute  formidable  obstacles  just  as  they  stand. 
I  would  send  patrols  out  beyond  the  field  of  fire  to  collect  barbed 
wire  and  the  wire  staples  from  the  fence  posts,"  says  the  sergeant. 

"Having  secured  the  wire  and  staples,  how  would  you  construct 
your  entanglement,  Sergeant  Budd?" 

"Well,  sir,  I  do.  not  favor  the  so-called  high-wire  entanglement. 
It  is  too  conspicuous,  too  hard  to  build,  and  too  easily  cut.  I  would 
take  some  saplings  about  2  inches  in  diameter,  cut  them  in  lengths 
of  about  2  feet,  and  sharpen  one  end;  then  I  would  take  the  wire 
and  staple  it  alongside  of  these  stakes,  putting  a  stake  about  every 
,>0  feet  along  the  wire.  I  would  then  drive  the  stakes  in  the  ground 
until  the  head  is  flush  with  the  surface  on  a  line  about  2  feet  apart. 
This  will  give  me  about  30  feet  of  wire  to  entangle  in  every  10  feet 
of  front.  Another  row  of  stakes,  about  6  feet  in  rear  of  the  first, 
Wth  the  stakes  driven  in  the  intervals  of  the  first  row,  and  then  two 
or  three  more  rows,  spaced  in  the  rear,  would  give  me  an  entangle- 
ment about  30  feet  wide  that  would  be  most  difficult  to  get  through. 
The  wire  from  one  row  should  be  entangled  with  that  of  another, 
and  the  whole  concealed  in  the  high  grass,  if  it  is  possible  to  do  so." 

"Where  would  you  locate  this  entanglement?" 

The  sergeant  will  be  required  to  conduct  the  class  to  the  place 
where  he  would  locate  the  entanglement  and  point  out  the  trace 
of  the  front  line  of  stakes.  This  should  not  be  more  than  300  yards 
away  from  the  fire  trench  and  not  closer  than  100  yards.  Between 
these  two  limits  the  best  locality  may  be  selected. 

Procedure 

This  same  procedure  will  be  followed  in  front  of  each  of  the  fire 
trenches  included  in  the  position.  If  there  is  a  hedge  or  other  natu- 
ral obstacle  in  front  of  any  of  the  trenches,  the  Director  will  describe 
the  methods  by  which  it  could  be  improved  and  made  formidable. 
The  location  of  obstacles,  it  will  be  explained,  must  be  made  so  as 
to  hold  the  enemy  under  the  fire  of  the  defenders  at  the  effective 
ranges. 

WThile  engaged  in  the  location  of  the  obstacles  the  Director  will 
take  up  the  subject  of  clearing  the  foreground  in  places  where  such 
action  is  necessary. 


A  Defensive  Position  117 


Problem  No.  7  Card  No.  4 

DIRECTOR'S  KEY 

1.  Conduct  class  to  the   location  of   one   of   the   fire  trenches. 

2.  Hand  out  the  cards  bearing  Situation  No.  4. 

3.  Explain    situation    and    direct    class   to    make    memorandum    of    the   kind    of 

obstacles   they  would  employ  and  where   they  would  locate  them.     Ten 
minutes  allowed  for  this. 

4.  Blocking  roads  to  keep  off   cavalry   charges.     Felling  trees,   abatis,   wagons. 

5.  Wire  entanglements.      Securing  wire.      Method  of  construction.      Fastening 

wire  to  stakes.  Driving  stakes.  Entangling  wires.  Depth  of  entanglements. 

6.  Concealment   of    obstacles. 

7.  Actual    location    of    entanglement    on    the    ground.      Distance    to    front    not 

over  300  yards,  not  less  than    100  yards. 

8.  Procedure   as   indicated   above   in   the   trenches. 

9.  Clearing  of  the  foreground. 


It  is  estimated  that  this  Tactical  Walk  will,  if  it  is  worked  out  in 
detail,  take  an  entire  afternoon,  and  possibly  two  of  them.  What 
the  members  of  the  class  will  get  out  of  it  will  depend  to  a  great 
measure  on  how  the  Director  handles  the  several  situations,  how 
he  brings  out  the  points  and  elements,  how  practical  he  is  able  to 
make  it. 

It  is  hoped  that  you  will  give  this  system  a  fair  trial.  Study  up 
your  problem  so  you  can  talk  about  it.  Be  ready  to  answer  any 
reasonable  question  that  may  be  put  to  you.  You  cannot  do  this 
unless  you  have  made  a  complete  solution  of  your  problem. 

There  are  many  other  situations  that  may  be  worked  into  tactical  walks. 
It  is  not  intended  that  you  should  confine  yourself  to  the  solution  of  those 
laid  down  in  this  book.  Half  the  instruction  of  the  Director  is  in  making 
up  the  problems  and  working  out  the  solutions  to  them  before  ever  taking 
the  class  out. 


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of  modern  warfare.  It  will  be  of  great  value  to  the  American 
Army  in  the  Training  Camps.  If  taught  here  it  will  lessen  the 
training  time  of  our  troops  back  of  the  Firing  Line. 


Machine  Gun  Training 

Price  $1.00 

This  work  has  been  a  training  text  book  in  the  British  army 
and  as  the  American  troops  will  be  equipped  with  machine  gun 
companies,  our  troops  must  be  drilled  on  these  methods.  Lord 
Northcliffe  says  that  this  is  the  most  important  thing  the  Ameri- 
can Army  has  to  master. 


Field  Gunnery 

Price  $1.00 

This  book,  up  to  the  minute,  shows  how  much  is  dependent 
upon  the  big  and  small-fired  guns. » It  is  complete  in  training  and 
practice;  shows  how  to  work  out  ranges  quickly  and  how  to 
co-operate  with  aeroplanes  and  infantry.  Pronounced  a  wonder- 
ful book  by  American  army  gunnery  experts. 

First  Aid  for  the  Trenches 

Price  6O  cents 

Every  British  soldier  carries  this  book  in  his  pocket    It  tells 

how  to  treat  wounds  and  gas  injuries.    Our  army  must  have  it. 

Published  by 

GEORGE  U.  HARVEY  PUBLISHING  COMPANY,  Inc. 

109  Lafayette  Street,  New  York 


HARVEY    MILITARY-SERIES 


An  Officer's  Notes 

By   Captain  R.  M.   Parker,  U.  S.  Cavalry 
Compiled  by  Lieut.  C.  C.  Griffith,  C.  A.  C. 

Presents  in  a  neat  pocket-sized  manual,  a  condensed  compile- 
ment  of  all  of  the  basic  military  subjects  required  by  the  War 
Department..  Captain  Parker's  long  experience,  active  service, 
and  recent  work  in  instructing  men  for  the  Officers'  Reserve 
Corps,  has  well  fitted  him  to  present  in  the  simplest,  clearest  and 
briefest  manner  all  the  essential  points.  The  information  neces- 
sary for  a  company  officer  has  been  compiled  from  the  following 
official  publications: 

Army   Regulations,   Military   Law,    Small   Arms   Firing 
Manual,    Field   Service    Regulations,    Military    Topography, 
Drill  Regulations   (Infantry  and    Cavalry),  Hippology, 
to  which  have  been  added  some  useful  plates  on  military  subjects. 

This  little  manual  presents  in  a  convenient  pocket  size,  all  the 
information  needed  to  solve  the  ordinary  problems  which  con- 
front a  company  officer,  and  gives  him  in  one  volume  the  im- 
portant extracts  from  many  lengthy  manuals. 

Contains  in  concise  form  the  essentials  which  candidates 
must  know  for  commissions  in  the  Officers'  Reserve  Corps. 

Price  $1.25 

(New  Edition) 

What  a  Company  Officer  Should  Know 

By  Major  J.  C.  McArthur,  U.  S.  A. 

A  wonderfully  helpful  military  guide.  Tells  things  which  have 
never  been  written  about  before.  It  is  the  experience  of  twenty- 
three  years  of  service  and  many  campaigns. 

It  takes  the  Reserve  Officer  from  his  home  to  the  firing  line. 
It  shows  the  difficulties  which  he  meets  and  tells  how  he  over- 
comes them.  It  shows  how  a  company  is  organized;  the  in- 
struction of  the  men  on  the  hike,  in  the  field  and  on  the  firing 
line. 

Notes  are  written  on  each  chapter  explaining  various  orders 
and  giving  suggestions  for  overcoming  the  various  unf orseen 
difficulties  that  always  arise.  100  pages  of  worked-out  forms  for 
guidance  of  the  company  officer. 

Price  $1.25 

(New  Edition) 

Published  by 

GEORGE  U.  HARVEY  PUBLISHING  COMPANY,  Inc. 
109  Lafayette  Street,  New   York 


HARVEY    MILITARY    SERIES 


Field  Quartermaster's  Handbook 

This  is  a  book  detailing  the  practical  daily  work  of  the  Army 
Quartermaster  officer,  and  is  unlike  any  other  book  printed  for 
the  Quartermaster  Corps.  It  is  necessary  for  non-coms,  and 
clerks  and  national  guard  supply  officers. 

The  matter  is  from  the  lectures  given  under  direction  of 
Lieut.  Col.  F.  H.  Lawton,  Q.  M.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  and  compiled  by 
Major  W.  A.  Dempsey,  Q.  M.  C.,  U.  S.  A.,  but  it  includes  many 
important  additions  in  the  way  of  forms,  all  worked  out,  for  the 
quartermaster,  regimental  and  company  officers  of  the  Army  and 
National  Guard.  A  chapter  by  Major  J.  C.  McArthur  on  the 
supply  work  of  the  company  officer. 

Bound  in  cloth  and  fits  the  pocket.     Order  now. 

Price  $2.00 


Handbook  of  Transportation 

by  Rail  and  Vessels 

)  By  Col.  C.  B.  Baker,  Q.  M.  C.,  U.  S.  A. 

Printed  by  authority  of  the  Quartermaster  General 
of  the  Army. 

This  is  an  authoritative  book  by  the  greatest  expert  in  the 
Army,  written  from  an  experience  of  many  years,  and  contains 
information  that  everyone  in  the  Quartermaster  Corps  should 
master.  Applicants  for  commissions  in  the  Quartermaster  Corps 
will  be  questioned  on  this  subject.  It  is  the  most  complete 
treatise  on  this  subject  ever  printed  and  cannot  be  obtained  in 
any  government  publication. 

Handy  Size,  bound  in  cloth.     Order  now. 

Price  $1.00 

Published    by 

GEORGE  U.  HARVEY  PUBLISHING  COMPANY,  Inc. 
109   Lafayette  Street,  New  York 


HARVEY     MILITARY     SERIES 

COMPANY 
ADMINISTRATION 

4th  Edition 

By  Lieut.  Col. 
W.  H.  WALDRON 

A  reference  book  that  no  officer  can  afford  to 
be  without.  The  most  complete  and  practical 
treatment  of  the  subject  that  has  been  produced. 
15,000  sold. 

All  of  the  Blank  forms  used  in  the  Adminis- 
tration of  a  Company  made  out.  Copious  notes 
covering  each  form.  This  edition  contains  a  new 
chapter  on  Allotments,  Savings  and  Insurance, 
will  aid  Company  Commanders  and  N.  C.  O's. 

Order  your  copy  today  and  lessen  the  drudgery 
of  your  Company  paper  work. 

Price  $1.25 


Published  by 
GEORGE  U.  HARVEY  PUBLISHING  COMPANY,  Inc. 

109  Lafayett*  Street,  New  York 


Military  Sketching 
and  Map  Reading 

By 
JOHN    B.   BARNES 

Captain  Fifth  U.  S.  Infantry,  Graduate  of  Army  Service  School, 

Graduate  of  Army  Staff  College,  Instructor  Plattsburg 

Instruction  Camp  1916,  Instructor  Plattsburg 

Officers'  Training    Camp,   1917 

Captain  Barnes'  book  is  based  on  an 
expert  knowledge  of  the  subject  as 
taught  by  the  Army  Service  Schools, 
Fort  Leavenworth,  and  an  appreciation 
of  the  needs  of  beginners  through  his 
wide  experience  as  an  instructor  of 
National  Guard  Officers,  and  at  Officers' 
Training  Camps. 

Written  with  a  view  of  self-instruction, 
with  new  and  original  illustrations  that 
explain  simply  and  graphically  the 
points  that  are  usually  found  trouble- 
some by  beginners. 

The  new  and  important  subject  of 
Landscape  Sketching  is  thoroughly 
explained  and  illustrated. 

Map  Reading  is  explained  in  a  few 
pages.  Scales  are  already  constructed. 

Net  75  cents 

GEORGE  U.  HARVEY  PUBLISHING  COMPANY,  Inc., 
109    LAFAYETTE    STREET  NEW    YORK    CITY 


AN  ^INITIAL  PINE  OP  25  CENTS 

TWH"S  BBOEOAKS^SSTEHDE  rT  ---  -  2™ 


HE  T 

WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENT=  ™E  PD«A«-TY 
DAY  AND  TO  $i.OO  ON  THF°=  ™E  F°UR™ 
OVERDUE  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


